


Maiden of Fire

by Tyamizuki



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2018-06-05 03:31:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 86,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6687442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyamizuki/pseuds/Tyamizuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fiery fellow Skyloftian by the name of Tya takes it upon herself to bring her best friend home. With failure not being an option in her mind, the Mage forces her way into a destiny that isn't hers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Tya sat back on an unmade bed, smoothing the dark red fabric of her dress out over her legs. She drew her hair over her shoulder, allowing her fingertips to first find their way through it, disentangling knots they came across. When they reached the tips that pooled in her lap, she began again, this time with a brush.

As her brush glided through, catching itself occasionally in tangles that had constructed in her tossing and turning the previous night, her mind wandered toward her open window…

It was a lovely day, though that wasn't unusual. It was rarely a bad day in Skyloft- the weather was almost always beautiful. But today it was somewhat lucky, given it was the Wing Ceremony. Nature did have a way of disrupting mortal's plans, but fortunately it allowed the events of the day to be left untouched by its wrath.

Tya was no knight, so of course she wouldn't be participating in the ceremony, but she did plan on watching. She was merely acquainted with the four contestants, but the girl playing the Goddess, Zelda, was a friend. And Tya did look forward to seeing what beautiful things the fellow blonde had cooked up to make her day so much more special.

Having woken up a bit later than expected, Tya rushed to ready herself, though it wasn't exactly needed. She was to meet Zelda just before the Ceremony anyway- Zelda had planned to meet a friend of hers, Link, before hand. Her rushing served her well, getting her prepared in enough time that meant she would be able to take her time on her way down to the plaza.

When she stepped foot into the open air of Skyloft, closing her door behind her, she couldn't help but pause and revel in the feel of the coolness on her skin. She was always hot, but the wind up there had a way of calming her temperature– or at least balancing it.

She lingered with each step, ice blue gaze venturing around her surroundings. Occasionally resting on a citizen, or a remlit, or even making it to the sky to see the Loftwings circling the city. She didn't live far from the plaza, so the walk was short, even with her taking her time like she was. It wasn't a surprise that she went unnoticed by the three that had already taken their place there. She was quiet– unassuming even. Something which she didn't quite mind, too much attention often made her anxious.

She'd stepped to the edges of the land, preparing to peer over the edge at the barrier of clouds beneath… It was a curious thing, those clouds. They never parted, and from there they looked so solid, and yet things would often fall over the edge and be lost within them. As a child, she'd been told legends about what lay beneath– an ancient world known as The Surface. But that was all it was- legends. Still, legends or not, they did hold her interest quite often.

Before her attention could be drawn to its intended spot, she was distracted by the three others in the plaza. She'd been taught that it was rude to eavesdrop, but that didn't stop her from doing it. Quiet steps were taken around the edge, bringing her to the wooden addition that the people of Skyloft would leap off of to mount their Loftwings.

"…You know, Groose, that sure was a pain, what with all the scratching and pecking…" Tya heard. She paused in her steps, taking a brief look back to see who all it was in he small group of three. Of course, she was not surprised to find that it was Groose and his two hencmen, Stritch and Cawlin… Mere acquaintances of hers, but she knew of the things the three of them did– the lows that Groose would stoop to in order to get Zelda's attention. Being a friend of hers, meant she'd hear the complaints Zelda often had about the foolish things Groose would do. Zelda often said if Groose would only stop trying so hard, she may give him a chance. But the fool never caught on to that hint, and likely wouldn't unless he was explicitly told this.

"Course it was. Ya thought a big Crimson Loftwing like that was gonna go down without a fight?" Groose scoffed in return.

The oaf may have only been an acquaintance to Tya, but she knew well enough that neither he nor his lackeys were chosen by a Crimson Loftwing. No, those were rare. The only one she'd seen in her short lifetime was the one that had chosen Link.

"But we got him, and I don't care how tough those birds are supposed to be. He's not getting out of that pen anytime soon, boys." Groose finished, causing the girl to furrow her brow as she thought. Even if he was the companion of a Crimson Loftwing, locking it in a pen and using the phrase 'going down without a fight' was a sign that something was not right about the situation… She didn't doubt Groose was attempting some harebrained scheme to get ahead of Link in this race…

She'd admit, she cared little for who won or lost the race, she only knew it was invigorating to watch it. But if it wasn't the cheating that aggravated her it was the mistreatment of a bird… Something she certainly wouldn't stand around and allow.

Tya turned on her heel, and as she approached she finally gained the attention of the three. Golden gaze found its way to her, and Groose swept the hands of his company off his shoulders as he got to his feet.

Groose practically towered over Tya, and on any other occasion she would have backed down, easily… But she had a temper, and one easy way to push it was unnecessary harm toward an innocent animal…

"It's kinda rude to butt into business that isn't yours." Thick arms crossed over a broad chest, and Groose cocked his head to the side as he looked the smaller over.

"It's also quite rude to cheat, is it not? I'm assuming that's why you'd go so low as to harm an animal." Though Tya's voice relayed courage, her body language submitted to the narrowed golden gaze upon her. Her head was down, and her hands clasped at her front, but her eyes were turned upward, locked with Groose's.

"Hey, we didn't harm anything. If anything, we did that pile of feathers a favor– it doesn't have to deal with Link today."

"I believe dealing with a dimwit like yourself is a much worse fate." Tya's retort was spit quickly, head tilting upward quickly and defensively. Needless to say, Groose took offense to such a thing, but had no time to act on it. A short gasp was heard behind him, and he turned to find the reason for it, and Tya peaked passed him only to see Link not far from the group.

"Link– Uh.. How long you been standin' there?" Groose nudged passed his two companions, uncrossing his arms and reaching up to adjust his hair as if he was attempting to retain a suave composure.

"I hardly see how that matters. Whether he heard anything or not, you should have 'dealt with' me when you had the chance…" Tya stepped around him, taking herself to Link's side.

Lips curled up into a look of disgust as Groose watched each step the small blonde took. "Why'd you come over here anyway? What's your problem, Link? Oh– wait wait, I got it. You're here to talk about today's race, eh? I can see it in those dopey eyes of yours. They're just pleading, 'Oh, G-G-Groose, can you p-p-p-lease find it in your heart to l-l-let me win today? Please!' You're just desperate to win so you can get some alone time with Zelda up on the Statue of the Goddess.

Well, sorry, pal. Groose doesn't do charity for wimps. My advice? Work hard and wish with all your heart. You might even come in second!" Groose paused, only to laugh. Whether his words were truly amusing or not, seeing him laugh queued his two followers to join in.

"…Say, come to think of it, how come I don't see your bird? Where is that scruffy pile of red feathers? Can't imagine what coulda happened to him. Do you think his tiny brain got confused by all the clouds and he got lost?"

Tya opened her mouth to speak, but before she got the chance, Link simply responded with "Nice hair". The manner in which the comment was said was so calm it was almost impossible not to see it as a sarcastic compliment. It was said so confidently, as well, making it clear Link knew exactly what he was doing.

"You lay off my do right now, or I'll flatten you. Everyone knows I've got the slickest pompadour in town-" his look of confidence quickly faded to a serious one, and he took a step closer as if he was attempting to be a threat. "You know, we're all getting tired of how you never let anyone forget you and Zelda go way back. You've been friends since you were kids? Big deal. It doesn't change the fact that you float through life with your head in the clouds. Would you wake up, straighten up, and grow a backbone already? Dopes like you are dragging our honored academy through the mud." Groose spat, preparing to take another step closer. But that came to a halt when the sound of a familiar voice caught the group.

"And just who might you be talking about, Groose?"

"Oh…Zelda. Hey. Nah, it's…uh… "

"Don't even try it, Groose! You're picking on Link again, aren't you? He's a student at the academy, just like all of us. Why do you insist on bullying him around so much?" Zelda's scolding hit him, and he suddenly melted into a puppy, head bowed, shoulders raised and a look of shame on him.

"Yeah… I suppose…-"

"You suppose? Suppose what?"

"I… suppose… You… Uh…" The words almost fell out, but Groose caught himself before they had the chance. Straightening back up to regain that composure of self-satisfaction, he shook his head. "Pfft! Forget it. I wasn't supposing anything, Okay? Okay, c'mon, we're outta here, boys. Later Link. Hope you find your bird, else you're gonna have to sit out today's race." Motioning for his two to follow him, Groose hastily began off.

"Jealousy is almost as bad a look on you as that 'pompadour'." Tya uttered as the redhead began off. She knew he heard her, because he paused in his steps and cast a quick glare back at her. She didn't doubt there would have been more of a reaction if it weren't for Zelda's presence…

"That could be a major setback toward knighthood, so find that bird or get real used to the taste of failure! It's your special flavor." Such a comment struck a small tinge of guilt into Tya. Perhaps if she would have refrained from stirring the pot, the last insult toward Link would have been stifled…

Zelda watched Groose leave before a heavy sigh escaped her finely glossed lips. She looked back to Link and shook her head. "I hate to say it, but I'm beginning to suspect that those blockheads had something to do with your Loftwing's disappearance. Link, those guys aren't going to help us find your bird, so we'd better start searching."

"I overheard them saying something about forcing him into a pen," Tya confessed, bringing yet another sigh from Zelda.

"I'll fly around Skyloft and see if I can spot any trace of your bird… Father said he'd talk to Instructor Horwell about delaying the start of the Wing Ceremony, so don't worry. We'll find your bird in time. Thanks Tya, for letting us know." With that, Zelda hurried off toward the nearest edge.

Tya did not know Link well– only through Zelda. But she did know he did not deserve such treatment. She knew he was sweet. Always happy when he was awake enough to be. She turned to him, offering a soft smile "If you need any help in finding the Loftwing, I will be here."

"Th-Thanks, Tya. If you see or hear anything else, l-let me or Zelda know."


	2. Chapter 2

The sky was beginning to darken, and Tya knew she'd have to return home soon… She knew Zelda had planned to speak with Link after the Ceremony, but it was unlike her to stand her up… They'd planned something- planned on dinner. At first, Tya felt abandoned. Hurt… But… The feeling didn't remain. It had a hard time doing so. Tya had been friends with Zelda for a while now, and she couldn't help but feel this was wrong. Even if Zelda was running late, she wouldn't be running this late. Neither she nor Link had returned to the academy, Tya was left to pace in front of the door, watching the skies for a sign of either of them, and she was given nothing. It… it wasn't right… She had this feeling in her chest that something was just wrong.  
She searched the skies carefully, waiting to see either of them… To just have some small semblance of assurance that her friend was alright… But nothing… No sign of the bright blue Loftwing that had chosen Zelda, not in the sky nor on the ground.

But

A small speck of red dashing toward the city in the clouds far from Skyloft got her attention. Brows furrowed, the blond stepped to the edge, leaning over to try and get a closer look. For a good second or two she couldn't tell what was coming toward them, but it wasn't long before she realized it was Link's Loftwing. Hope filled her chest, and she searched around the red speck for any sign of a blue one, but again… Nothing…

In a matter of seconds the hope was drowned in a deep pool of fear. The anxiety had taken her over so thoroughly she barely noticed herself jumping over the edge. It wasn't until the pressure of the air dragging her hair and her dress back got her attention, that she realized she'd done it. A hasty, panicked whistle echoed through the clouds, and a brief second passed before she was swept up by a light purple Loftwing.

The bird seemed to know exactly what Tya was wanting, and immediately soared in the direction of Link's. They reached it quickly, circling around and flying up at his side. Tya's mind was filled almost instantly with so many things it took her a moment to sort everything out.

Link's Loftwing was injured, she could see that much. Not severely, but it wasn't right. Link was unconscious, draped over the bird's back. But the worst part was… Zelda was no where to be found. Night was falling– her Loftwing couldn't fly at night and Zelda wasn't with Link.

She attempted to pull back, but the bird refused her order. Her fear of the night, and poor vision made her disobey the command, which first aggravated Tya. But she knew it was for the best… Emergency or not, she'd be of no help stuck and blind in the night…

She'd just have to accompany Link back, and allow the sky knights to search for Zelda…

The worry knotting her stomach managed to blur much of the nights events. Upon landing, Tya fetched Pipit, the Headmaster, and really anyone that opened their doors when she banged on them and called for them to hurry out. Link was taken to his room, and the sky knights were sent out to search for Zelda while there was still a bit of light. The Headmaster nervously paced the room, and Tya had decided she'd remain by Link's side. She wanted to be there when he awoke so she could have the explanation of Zelda's disappearance as soon as possible… That, and she wasn't very fond of walking across town at night…  
It was early, perhaps three in the morning, when Link finally came to, sitting up quick with a sharp inhale. His quick movement made Tya and Geapora both flinch. Tya wanted desperately to just hound Link for any sort of information, but she refrained from doing so. His well-being was just as important as her friends, and even so, Geapora could handle the whereabouts of his daughter.

Tya slid onto the edge of the bed, a hand resting on Link's shoulder to let him know that she was getting closer to him so there was no chance to startle him.

"How do you feel?" She asked quietly, but was given no audible response. Link just put his hands to his head, closing his eyes for a moment to steady himself. The way he swayed made it seem as if he was dizzy, she assumed from how quickly he'd sat up.

"We are glad you are awake… When your Loftwing carried you back, you were limp and unconscious… I feared the worst. Fortunately you don't apear to have any serious injuries- for that much we can be grateful." Geapora stepped forward, looking Link over carefully. He was anxious, that was obvious. He was trying to show concern for Link, but Tya knew his concern was mainly for Zelda. Of course Link was important as well… But he wasn't the one missing. "But Link… Where's Zelda? She was with you, was she not?

…What's happened to my daughter?"

Tya's grip on Link's shoulder tightened for a moment, and she looked down at the bed. She didn't want to urge his response, but she was impatient. She attempted to ease her own restlessness by rubbing Link's shoulder. Something that may be of comfort to the both of them.

His question was met with silence at first while Link readjusted to being conscious. One of his hands dropped off his face, and to the hand rested on his shoulder as if to offer silent thanks for the gesture. However, Tya took it as an implication that she needed to stop, and she withdrew.

Finally Link found it in him to explain "Th-there was… This. Tornado th-thing. J-Just this big black Tornado that appeared out of n-nowhere. We were just f-flying, and she was t-talking and it was normal, then… It wasn't… And we t-tried to fly away but it caught her and we both got kn-knocked off the Loftwings…" He remained slumped over, looking around the room to try and steady his vision. When he thought he'd managed, he slid to the edge of the bed and set his feet on the floor.

"A black tornado, you say?" Geapora paused, thick brows creasing as he thought it over. "That was no ordinary storm…" Link moved to stand, but Tya quickly grabbed onto him and disallowed it. "You must not push yourself. You're still recovering," Geapora waved a hand at him as he spoke, then he turned to continue his pacing.

"Do you need anything? A drink maybe?" Tya asked gently and absently, watching the Headmaster walk the floor in thought. Her response was given in the form of a soft nod, and a smile. The smile was returned to him, and Tya got to her feet. As she left the room, she heard Geapora ask another question. Ask about Zelda, and if she'd been acting strange.

Hurrying to retrieve a drink as she'd planned, she thought over the question herself. She'd spoken to Zelda the night before the ceremony, and between her bouts of excitement, she'd go absent. As if she was in thought. But when Tya asked of it, it was dismissed, and they continued planning. Tya had dismissed it as daydreaming, which wasn't uncommon for Zelda. The girl was adventurous, but in Skyloft there wasn't much adventure to be found. So she was left to her thoughts to explore, and she did so often.

Tya got water for the three of them, and returned, opening the door carefully as to not spill any of the glasses.

"Rest now, Link… Zelda's going to be find, she's out there alive, I know it." Geapora looked to Tya as she entered, speaking sincerely to Link, but making sure to assure Tya as well.

It was a simple statement to make, but a parent often had this intuition, didn't they? This feeling that something was wrong or right with their child… And thinking of that when the Headmaster said he knew Zelda was fine, was enough to at least somewhat ease Tya's worry.

Though Geapora was leaving, Tya still offered the glass to him, and he took it. Her own was set down on Link's desk, and the last was handed to Link who took it gratefully.

"He is right, you do need to rest. Would you like anything else? If not, I will let you be." Tya watched as he sipped at the water, then lowered it to his lap.

"I think I'm fine… Th-thank you, though. Uh, do you want me to walk you b-back or anything? Its still pretty late, isn't it? I-its dark out." It could barely be seen through the slits in the window's cover, but the lack of light pouring through made it obvious it was still dark out.

"No, that's fine. You need to rest." She repeated, but Link just sighed and shook his head.

"Why don't you j-just stay in the academy or s-something?" His concern was flattering, actually. She was seldom shown such things, mainly because she rarely found herself speaking to anyone other than Zelda. She wasn't exactly shy, she just found it was easier that way. She had nothing against the people, and nothing against speaking with them, as long as she was not surrounded. There were just days which she found it was difficult to hold conversations. Days where she wanted to be alone, and having too many people wanting her made such a thing difficult. They often didn't understand the difference between being alone and being lonely. That one could be wanted over the other.

"Alright. I can do that," She replied finally, offering another smile to him.

"Here, y-you can sleep in the bed, I don't m-mind the floor–"

"There's no reason to be such a gentleman, Link. I am more than likely not going to be able to fall asleep, and even so, you are the one that needs the rest. I'm going to wait until morning, and then go search for Zelda…" Her response made Link pause, but even so he complied with her order to rest and he lied back in the bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Tya pulled the chair at Link's desk out and took a seat there. She rested her head on the desk, and to occupy herself she began to toy with the tips of her golden hair. The two exchanged a bit of quiet conversation, but it wasn't long before Link drifted back to sleep. And though it wasn't intentional, Tya managed to do so as well, with her head on the desk. But it was not long lasted. The sleep was light, and soon disturbed by the sound of Link's door closing.  
At first she only shifted, mentally trying to determine whether the sound was real or a dream. Opening her eyes though, she realized Link was gone. As much as sleep wanted to retake her, she didn't allow it. Instead she rose from the chair, stretching her arms as she approached the door. She'd first suspected he'd gone to the bathroom, but peeking around the corner, she noticed the door was open. She looked to the kitchen then, but it was empty. The entrance was locked, and when she saw no sign of him she stood there, confused for a moment. Up until she heard the soft closing of a door upstairs.

So she began that way, sleepily dragging herself up the stairs. She'd then assumed that he'd gone to Zelda's room, but when she got to it she realized the door was locked. The blonde continued down the hall, looking to the bathroom and pausing. For a moment she figured he'd gone in there, but something about it didn't seem right. It just seemed like an odd thing, to suddenly wake up and take a bath in the middle of the night… She was drawn to the upstairs entrance, and though the entire reason for her remaining in the academy was to not be out at night, she couldn't help it. Curiosity, worry, and suspicion brought her into the moonlight…

She didn't venture far at first, only looking around to see if there's was any sign of Link. She'd honestly expected to see nothing, but wasn't exactly surprised she did. Hurrying up toward the goddess statue with his sword strapped to his back, was Link.

Tya started after him, ice blue gaze remaining locked solely on him as to not lose him. She followed at a safe distance, using her quiet steps to her advantage. He turned before the Statue, heading in a direction Tya had never really noticed. It had always been there, but until then she'd thought nothing of it. The familiar squeals of a remlit grabbed her attention, and she sped up, pretty much sprinting after him only to find the angered animal leaping at him.

The hilt of his sword was used to hit it's stomach, and he tossed it to the ground. It wasn't dead, but it was effectively incapacitated. At least for the moment… While she knew those things had a temper when night fell, she couldn't help but hate the thought of it being in pain… Picking it up to check on it would have been a death wish though.

The ledge that separated her from Link and the remlit got a bit of hesitation out of her, but she took a breath then threw herself over. Luckily sure made it, but not without scraping up her hands and knees. Her pursuit continued, taking her through obstacles she was certainly in no shape for. Despite wanting to just turn back and hope Link didn't die, she proceeded to follow until they came to the back of the goddess statue. She watched as Link entered though a door she had never seen… Then again, she'd never seen the back of the goddess statue like this. Only briefly when flying.

Her curiosity spiked, and she rushed to follow as if the door was going to close before she got in. She slowed, studying everything carefully as she came into a large circular room. Her examination was halted though, by the sound of someone speaking to Link.

Behind an inhuman figure sat a sword, sealed in a pedestal. Tya watched in amazement, taking to one of the pillars before her to hide her from view.

"The one chosen by my creator. I have been waiting for you… you will play a role in a great destiny… According to your social customs, I am to provide you with my personal designation. Fi is the name I was given.

I must aid you in fulfilling the great destiny that is your burden to carry.

Come, Link. You must take up this sword. As the one chosen by my creator, it is your destiny." The figure turned gracefully, motioning outward with what appeared to be its arm, though to Tya it looked as if it was just a blue and purple cloth. Tya watched as Link hesitated, and the figure turned back to him and began again.

"The strange dreams troubling your sleep. My sudden appearance. Uncertainty surrounding the fate of one you hold dear. Under the circumstances, it is only logical that you would exhibit some apprehension.

To minimize your uncertainty, allow me to share some information. My projections indicate that this information has a high probability of altering your current emotional state. The one you seek, honorable Zelda, is still alive. And this spirit maiden…the one you call Zelda…is another chosen one fated to be part of the same great mission. Therefore, should you wish to meet with your friend, I highly recommend you take up this sword before you set out to search for her. Does that information invigorate you? Are you ready to accept this sword?" Little hesitation was left then, Link moved forward in a way that shown he was prepared to accept the blade. And if he wouldn't have, Tya herself would have rushed to do so. The moment this creature said Zelda's name, her breathing hitched, only to escape again in a relieved sigh to hear she was alive. She had no idea whether or not trusting this thing was wise, but she had little else to cling to besides that shred of hope and the one given by Geapora when he said he felt she was fine…

"It seems that further persuasive measures will not be required. In the name of my creator, draw the sword and raise it skyward." The order was given, and slowly Link complied. He stepped to the pedestal, placed both hands on the unfamiliar blades hilt, and drew it from the stone in which it had buried itself. As Fi told him, the blade was raised with the tip pointing straight to the sky. Light filled the room, and traced along the blade as if it too was being filled.

And again, the spirit spoke "Recognition complete, Master… Link… My master."

Tya watched as Link lowered the sword, examining the light engulfed blade carefully, but the two of them soon flinched at the sound of a man's voice echoing from he entrance. An attempt was made to hurry out of sight, but it was failed, and Tya turned to find Geapora arching a thick brow as he looked down at her.

She'd been caught. A slightly aggravated groan left Tya, and she stepped into view, refusing to look at either of them. 

After a brief second of Link and Geapora both staring at her, The headmaster cleared his throat and began again-- Lucky for her this event was much too important for her to be scolded or even questioned-- "I've had my suspicions, but until now I wasn't sure. Yet here we are in the Chamber of the Sword, the very place where it was foretold the youth of legend would one day appear.

It is said that this place was left to our people by the goddess herself. The very knowledge of this room's existence is a secret passed down to a select few each generation, along with a handful of words:

When the light of the goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its long slumber.

Do not fear, for it is then that a youth,  
guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred.

It started days ago. The sword that I've kept secret all these years… It began to give off a faint, otherworldly light. At first I was sure I was seeing things, here alone with the sword. There was simply no other explanation. I never dreamed the prophecy of legend would come to pass in my lifetime. The words I have sworn to keep secret are coming true before my very eyes…

The youth will be guided by one born of the blade–one who is also youthful in likeness yet wise with knowledge immeasurable. "

Geapora had stepped forward as he spoke, and in an attempt to not be forgotten in this event, Tya did as well. She had no problems being left behind and looked over most days, but when it came to things such as this, she was much too curious to allow it…

The sword in Link's hands held her attention even when Fi began to speak once again. Tya approached Link slowly, and she could feel he was watching her as he listened to the exchange. When he noticed her interest lay on he blade, he held it up enough for her to see it better.

"Ah yes, the oral tradition, one of the least reliable methods of information retention and transmission.

It appears that critical sections of the passage have been lost over the generations…" Link turned when he saw the being begin to lower herself toward the ground again.

"The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as the goddess's chosen hero, and it is he who possesses

an unbreakable spirit.

He shall be burdened with the task

of abolishing the shadow of apocalypse

from the land. Such is his destiny.

With the spirit of the blade at his side,

he shall soar over the clouds and plummet below…

…And united with the spirit maiden,

shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land."

The recited words seemed to surprise Link for a moment, but it seemed as if he had little time to think of it before Fi continued.

"Master, you must embark on a great journey beneath the clouds to the vast realm of the surface. It is only through this journey that you can fulfill the mission set before you by my creator, The Goddess. It is also the only method available for you to reunite with the spirit maiden, honorable Zelda." As Fi finished, and the three began to comprehend what she meant, they all paused. There was a moment of silence, but it was soon broken when Geapora turned to Link.

"This is no easy task, Link. The world below is a forsaken place, and to reach it you must pierce the cloud barrier below. In living memory, no one has ever done this." He looked from the smaller male, to the spirit who lingered in the air just before them.

The frilled cloth that appeared to serve as Fi's arms extended outward, and between them a flash of light was emitted. It quickly took a rectangular shape, and when the light dimmed, a stone tablet was slowly lowered to Link's hands.

"This tablet will illuminate a path through the clouds to the land below. Take it, and place it within the altar behind me." She explained as Link hesitantly took hold of the weathered, etched stone. He seemed to be surprised, and Tya didn't blame him. Magic like this was not something the people of Skyloft often dealt with… But Tya was a bit less astonished by such a thing– she was no stranger to magic…

Fi continued on, telling Link what to do to access the power the tablet possessed. He was to preform something called a 'skyward strike'– a blast of pure energy the blade filled with when it was raised to the sky. But Tya didn't remain there to see it… The cloud barrier would be broken, Link would be going to the surface, and so would she.

She owed it to Zelda.

She didn't know what she'd face, or even where to begin, but she'd handle it when she got to it.


	4. Chapter 4

Stepping out of the Statue of the Goddess let Tya know that day was slowly beginning to come. The sky was lighter, but there was still a while before it would be bright and full… But she paid little mind to it, really, and began out toward her home.  
Half way there, she froze in her steps, looking out off the edge of Skyloft as a beam of green light broke through the barrier of clouds. If she wasn't rushing, she would have remained there to stare in amazement.

Tya had few things to collect, and only a small wallet of rupees to get by on for the moment. But she didn't really care, she figured that, if she was able to return to Skyloft, she could just sell things she finds on the surface. She didn't doubt that at least one person up here would take interest in things they'd more than likely never seen before. If not, then she'd figure something out then…

The dark red dress was cast off, and replaced with thin, tan pants, thick leather boots, and a long sleeved red shirt. Something more protective would have been nice, but she didn't really have the money for such things, nor the time to wait and see if she could get some. Anything she thought would be useful was stuffed into a satchel which was then placed over her shoulder. Small necessities such as soap and closed flasks she'd filled with water. Extra things to tie her hair up, and bandages she had lying around just in case. A bit of disinfectant as well– better safe than sorry. A variety of other small things she thought would be of used to her, and any nonperishable food she had stored away. It wasn't much, and she tried to keep it light, but only partially succeeded. Any extra's were taken off, and after tightly braiding her hair then twisting it into a bun, she grabbed her sailcloth and began out again. Quietly but quickly, she rushed over the edge, whistling for her Loftwing that was no doubt uneasy with the dim light of dawn. But she still obeyed.

Tya circled the light that pierced the clouds… She knew her Loftwing wouldn't accompany her, as much as she wished she would. And despite being so determined to do this, she was still nervous. But who wouldn't be? She was no explorer, no traveler, no knight. She was far from prepared for a journey such as this, and the only weapon she had was far from honed… She just hoped it was enough.

A deep breath was drawn in and held, and she prepared the sailcloth of hers before finally taking the leap she needed to drop through the clouds.

 

The fall seemed like it took forever, and each second she was in the air, her heart began to race faster and faster. Each second brought more and more regret, but it all came to a halt when she noticed the ground was nearing her. The sailcloth was allowed out, and her fall slowed, though her landing was still rough. She may have done this a million times in the sky, but this landing was much too far and fast for her to master so quickly.

She fell upon already scraped hands and knees, and a quiet hiss left her as she plopped down in he grass to check over her palms. It wasn't anything serious, and therefore she'd deal with it at some other point. She gathered the sailcloth, adjusting it over her shoulders and tying it behind her back. And then she just sat. She didn't move, and it took her a second to get up the courage to look around at all.

A black, wrought iron fence lined the edge of a deep chasm, and not far from Tya, she noticed somewhat of a path beneath the grass. She pulled herself up and onto her feet, peeking around the corner from where she landed to see where the weathered path led. Not far from her, she could see a building that appeared just as worn as everything else in the area, and she assumed that would be a wise place to start...

Each step was set with absolute uncertainty, and the further she moved the more uneasy she became. Her aching palms faced the ground, and from them, popped some wary sparks. The area was so calm and quiet, it was difficult not to feel uneasy. There wasn't much wind, which was new to her. The air in Skyloft often cooled her off, which was nice only because she was used to it. Cooling off on occasion was nice, but she did prefer the warmth. And it was warmer there-- Not unpleasantly so, in fact she kind of wished it was even warmer...

The smallest sound brought a flinch, and she'd look around to find its source, but even if she found it she wasn't put to ease. Especially when the silence was shattered by a sound she'd never heard. It was a strange growl, accompanied by this whipping sound that almost sounded wet. And it didn't take long to spot the source of that one, because less than two steps in front of her was a plant that had risen out of the ground and bared its teeth down at her.

She panicked, nearly falling back, and the sparks that jumped from her palms ignited without delay. Fire poured out, taking the plant up in a blaze that quickly dispatched it.

The smoking corpse fell on the ground before her, and she released a breath she didn't even know she'd started to hold. The fire extinguished and both hands placed over her chest as if that would somehow calm her rapid heartbeat.

She...

She needed a second...

She moved to the black fence that lined the edge and held herself up on it, hanging her head between extended arms. She closed her eyes, allowing her breathing to level again, before standing straight.

"Goddess, this was a bad idea, wasn't it..." She whispered to herself, before turning and starting off toward the stone structure once again.

Three more of those plants gave her trouble on the way, each being eliminated with small bouts of fire. On one side, she noticed the fencing had stopped, and on the other sat the structure she'd started toward to begin with. There was a second of mental debating but finally she decided that looking over the edge couldn't do that much harm to her. Just a quick peek...

At the bottom of the chasm before her, erected directly in the middle of a spiral pathway, was a white... Thing. She didn't know what it was. Surrounding it was some sort of strange symbols, all of which emitted this thick black... She wouldn't have said smoke, but she couldn't think of another word to describe the darkness that poured out.

She was curious, but not enough to go down and explore any further. Needless to say, it gave her an uneasy feeling... She promised herself a quick peek anyway, and that was all. So her attention then turned to the door of the structure... There was a strange symbol on it as well, one that gave off a bit of a glow when she looked at it. She was barely given the chance to approach it when she heard the rustling of grass, and then her name spoken in surprise.

She turned quickly, defensively almost, but calmed significantly when she saw Link.

"What are you d-doing here?! I thought you went home..." He moved to her quickly, looking back for a second at the cooling bodies of the plants she'd killed.

"I did go home. But then I left again, and I am here now. Standing. That is all." She told him plainly, looking passed him at her work as well.

"Y-Yeah, I see that, but why are you here... Just 'standing'. Y-You're supposed to be in Sk-Skyloft." He turned back to her, making a small motion up to the sky as he spoke.

"As are you and Zelda, but you are not. Now, I don't think this door will open, this symbol on it is strange. I think its a seal, help me figure out how to get rid of it, will you?" She reached a hand out, setting it against the door and allowing her fingertips to trace along the lines of the seal.

"Tya, you n-need to go home, it's dangerous here." Link's tone was sincere, and again, such worry was flattering. But while she was no hero, she was certainly not weak. Her hand fell back to her side, and she looked at Link, then back toward the enemies that fell at her hands moments before.

"I am no trained knight, I know this. But as you can see, I am able to defend myself. I'm not going home until Zelda comes with me. Now, helping me is your choice, I will not force you to. But know that I'm not leaving, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Nearing the end of her sentence, she began to get absent. She'd turned back toward the door and started pressing herself against it to see if she could get it to budge at all. The attempt was in vein though, and she pulled herself upright again. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Link roll his eyes at her, then she heard him sigh. He looked around before moving to the edge just like she had.

Tya paid little attention to what he was doing up until she heard a quiet, pained gasp leave him. She turned to find him moving his hands to his head, and taking a step back from the edge. He watched the circle in the middle carefully for a moment before his hand hurried to the hilt of the blade sheathed on his back. There was a brief moment of panic but it quickly subsided...

By then, both of Tya's hands rested on his arm, and she had an expression of pure worry. But she didn't ask anything, only watched him carefully to be sure he was okay before releasing him. The feeling of her hands leaving his arm seemed to surprise him, as if he hadn't noticed they were there until he was no longer in contact with her heat. He looked at his arm, then at her, then back down to the bottom of the chasm.

"I-I'll... B-Be back..." He told her quietly and absently, taking a few uncertain steps away from her before he began down the spiral path way.

Her mind once again became overwhelmed by curiosity, but as he got farther from her, she realize much of it would have to wait until he returned. There was a small feeling of lingering discomfort at the thought of him going down alone, especially since the place had caused him pain just by looking at it, but Tya dismissed it. He was the stronger of the two, should anything sinister await him down there, he'd be able to handle it on his own, at least until Tya was able to get down there and help him, she was sure.

Her mind then wandered back to the sealed door, and as she looked at it through narrowed eyes.

Seals were often put on things permanently, were they not? Perhaps she had been wrong, this door was not the way she needed to go. When she'd looked over the edge, she'd seen no other pathways that led anywhere but down, so perhaps she was just... missing something.

The blonde stepped back, but not far. A hand reached out to rest against the walls of the structure, and as she walked her fingertips gently traced along it, catching themselves against the various vines that had tangled themselves on the walls.

She knew that an entrance to a new path would be something obvious, something large enough for her to see just by walking. But the hand on the wall served for another purpose. Searching for anything small. Any clue she could have looked over. Any abnormality in the stone was uncovered, and she'd examine it, but she found nothing.

It didn't take long for Tya to get frustrated, and she took a few more steps back with an aggravated huff. One last look was given to the sealed door before she turned toward the edge again, looking over to see where Link had gone. He'd made it to the bottom by then, and he had his sword raised to the sky. Tya watched as the light filled it once again, and then he cast it toward the small white pillar which the black smoke radiated from.

The light pulsed through the land, showing itself only through the markings on the ground. A second of silence and stillness, and then the spiral path began to show life. Air began to poor out of these small holes in the surface with enough force to push something upward to the higher edges of the path. Tya immediately got the idea that a sailcloth could be used to ascend the walkway faster, but before she got the chance to voice the idea she saw Link had gotten it as well.

He reached the top much faster than he'd reached the bottom, and when he landed he folded the sail cloth tightly and tucked it away into a small satchel of his own. He didn't speak, only looked to the sealed door...

The moment his gaze was set upon it, it began to emit this ringing sound, and Tya whipped around to see what he was doing to it.

The seal lifted and dispersed, the ringing sound slowly dissipated, and the two of them just stood there for a moment.

He watched the door, and Tya turned back toward the edge, looking down toward the bottom of the bit once more... Whatever he'd done down there was obviously the key to this seal, but that wasn't her concern. This building was evidently of some importance, and whatever lay on the other side was attempting to keep whatever was down there out. There was a mixture of feelings and thoughts stirring in her- It seemed he'd resealed whatever lay in wait underground down there back in, but he'd broken the seal on the door here. Had he accidentally broken the building's protection? What if he'd accidentally weakened the seal at the bottom of the pit? There were many more questions floating around in that head of hers, but they all went quiet at the sound of stone scraping against stone.

She turned to find Link pushing open the now unsealed doors, and when they sat ajar he cast a look back to her as if to ask if she was coming or not. And of course she hurried after him...


	5. Chapter 5

At first they'd hurried inside, but their steps slowed as they began to take in the surroundings. It was rather magnificent actually. It was obviously aged, and the greenery there had taken over. Moss and grass grew over the grounds. Holes in the ceiling allowed beams of light to fill through in certain places. Pillars lined the sides, and two other doors besides the one they entered through could be seen. In the middle sat something like a stage, but nothing sat upon it. Tya assumed that there was, at one point, something of significance there, but not anymore. On the other side of the stage was a set of stairs, and at the top of them was one of the two other doors. This one was very lightly cracked, and lit beautifully by the sunlight that dripped through. Directly in front of it sat something that, at a distance, Tya couldn't quite make out. It was a short distance, but that mixed with the dust that shown itself only in the light where the figure sat, skewed her vision to a point she felt it unreliable.

Whatever it was, it seemed out of place there. While everything else seemed aged, worn, and overrun with vegetation, it did not. It was a bright red, where as everything else was dull. Perhaps, at one point, the place was vibrantly lit, but if so, time had taken that away from it. Everything else seemed dusty as well, but whatever sat at the top of the stairs seemed relatively untouched. Long and pointed at the top, and it seemed as if it had decorations along the sides, but Tya couldn't really make out what they were.

She looked to Link, who had his attention set on the abnormality as well, and without a word the two began toward it.

 

As they came closer, Tya realized that it was a person.

One that seemed to have aged with the temple sat beneath the red covering with her hands clasped and rested in her lap. A long white braid wrapped itself around her forehead and then much of it hung down. The braid had been rolled up into a circle as if it was some coiled up rope... Quite an odd look, Tya thought. But who was she to judge?

The woman watched them both as they neared her, and Tya slowed to allow Link in front of her. She doubted this woman meant the two of them any harm- she seemed much too old and feeble to attack. So she assumed that, if anything, there would be some conversation there. And though neither of them seemed to be big talkers, she decided Link could be the one to carry it through.

Not like there was any harm in that, this was apparently his mission. Besides, that stutter of his was cute.

"Ah... The traveler descended from the clouds above. I welcome you, child of fate." She spoke to Link, and bowed her head softly after the words escaped her. She then looked to Tya, but said nothing. She seemed a bit displeased with the presence of another, but her attention soon returned to Link.

"Tell me, what is your name?"

"L-Link." He replied simply and softly, giving a gentle bow of his own to the woman.

"...Link." She repeated, nodding gently then looking to Tya. "And you? You are not supposed to be here."

"People keep saying that, but it seems it hasn't quite sunk in, as I'm still here... I am Tya." She was beginning to get it though. Beginning to see she had no place here, and that she could easily return home and wait for Link to do whatever it was he was ' destined ' to do.

But she owed it to Zelda.

Zelda made sure she was safe and now it was her turn to make sure Zelda was safe. It was only fair...

The elder dismissed Tya's response. It wasn't meant to seem rude, but Tya's mind had to continue to convince her just how out of place she was... The woman's attention returned to Link, and she said "I sense you have already gained control over the sacred power that fills your sword when pointed skyward. The skyward strike is yours to command. It is proof that you are fit to bear the blade you carry, the Goddess Sword. I have sat here for many years waiting for you to arrive. All so that I could fulfill my purpose as your guide."

Link paused for a second before a sheepish smile shown on his lips. "Uh.. S-Sorry to k-keep you waitin' so long."

At first the only thing given in return was a quiet chuckle, and she shook her head. But after a moment she began again... "You stand under the roof of the Sealed Temple, a place built by the goddess an eternity ago. Your arrival here was predestined many, many years ago. The spirit maiden you seek arrived here shortly before you, descending to this land in a shower of light. There is no doubting it. The gears of fate have begun to turn... Yet all is not as it should be... The spirit maiden was not meant to reach this land in the manner she did. I feel an evil power working in the shadows.. It moves to warp the destiny of which you two are a part. Link... You are concerned for the spirit maiden and seek her whereabouts, yes? That is understandable, but for now you must focus on moving forward. That girl has her own purpose she must pursue, as do you."

"Alright, well I have no purpose in this, so you could tell me where she is and I could assist her in fulfilling what she needs to fulfill." The words practically fell out of Tya's mouth. She hadn't truly intended to intervene, but it seemed her mind had other plans.

The woman shook her head at first then sighed. "She set out for Faron Woods to discover that destiny for herself, and you, Link, must follow. As for you, I recommend you return to the sky and await their return... The path before this young man is a dangerous one, as is the one before the spirit maiden. Whatever lurks in the shadows will only be furthering that danger... This is not your destiny."

"If that's so, then I'll be led in the direction of my own fate, will I not? Life has a strange way of putting you on the path you are meant to be on, and should I stray from that path it will redirect me. Until then, I am going to search for Zelda and I will bring her home..." She tried her best to seem stubborn. To sound as if she was confident in doing this, but the way her voice cracked shown her true feelings...

The silence that sat over the three of them made her all the more anxious. She was unwanted there by Link and this stranger. She was in the way, a burden to them both. She should return home. She should go home and lock herself away until the only person she trusted returned.

But how selfish was that? Zelda spent her precious time easing Tya's fears and anxieties. Spent her precious time walking on eggshells to try and pull Tya from the depths she'd pushed herself into. Watched every step she made and every word she spoke to metaphorically bring Tya back where she belonged...

And now she couldn't even literally do the same for her? Zelda didn't have to help Tya, but she did.

And Tya didn't have to help Zelda, but she will.

"Very well..." Was all the woman finally said. After a second she nodded and shifted a bit only to pull a piece of paper from beneath the red covering. She held it out to Link and the male hesitantly took it from her hands. He unfolded it to see what seemed to be a map, and as he looked it over the woman began again. "The land you are traveling is an unfamiliar one... Many monsters have settled outside these walls, and just this map may not prove guidance enough for your journey. And so I will show you how to create beacons." She waved for him to lower the map down to her, and he complied by kneeling in front of her and holding it. She placed a slim finger against the paper, and a bit of blue light radiated from it then sunk in. "I have placed a beacon... Where there is a mark on your map, a column off light will stand. It will act as your waypoint from afar. Though you cannot see if from where we are, the beacon stands outside to guide you. Leave the temple through the front doors and see for yourself." As Link stood and looked at the map where a small blue dot now sat, Tya moved to his side and looked at it as well. She didn't study the place of the dot, however, she studied the dot itself. The magic the woman used in order to place the beacon.

"There is a chest within this room, the contents of which should prove useful on your journey. I wish the two of you safe travels... And know that all of the questions you have for now will be answered in time." And with that, she seemingly dismissed them. Link held the map out to Tya so she could have a better look at it, and when she nodded he refolded it and slipped it into the same satchel he'd set the sailcloth in.

The gesture was small and really insignificant, but not to Tya. Link probably thought nothing of it, but him showing her the map instead of just putting it away meant to her that she wasn't as unwanted as she felt. He was showing her where they were going, not where he was going and she would just happen to be following despite being told not to. It was nothing, but it was enough to ease her anxiety...

Link took a step back, looking around for the chest the woman spoke of, and when he noticed it at the bottom of the stairs, they began down and he nudged the small thing open. A bottle sat within it, filled with a purple liquid. With it, was a piece of paper that read 'revitalizing potion'.

"Oh, s-some lady in the b-bazaar sells this stuff. I-It'll heal you up some and I h-heard it'll also fix up s-some items you carry, i-if they break." Link told Tya absently as he looked over the bottle. The cork in the top was pushed in just a bit more to be sure it was secured, then Link forced it into the satchel as well.

"Well hopefully neither of us will end up hurt to the point we need some healing..." She knew that wouldn't be the case, but she could hope, right?

The two of them began toward the door, and Link opened it and held it for Tya to go through. When she did, he went out behind her and closed the door.


	6. Chapter 6

The age that had overrun the inside seemed to calm itself on the stairway they'd stepped out onto. Two walls erected on either side of the stairs suggested that the temple was just a little below ground level. Vines and moss spilled over the edge of the walls, and started up the two pillars at the top of the stair case. It was eroded and weathered, but not nearly as bad as the side they'd first seen. Link started up the stairs, and after studying everything a bit, Tya followed. The two couldn't help but walk slowly.

It looked nothing like Skyloft, and it was just so new to them. There were so many trees, so much long grass. It seemed so wild, and it was obviously not lived in like Skyloft was. Skyloft didn't have things like this. There were trees and grass, but it was well cared for to not get in the way of the humans.

And the air that lingered there.

It was amazing.

So pure and light. Breathing it in felt amazing, and the smell was great, but it actually made Tya a little lightheaded.

"There's the beacon." Link pointed out toward a light that pierced the tree tops and disappeared into the sky.

"It doesn't seem to be that far away. Shouldn't take long to get there, I think." Tya replied as her eyes followed the beacon upward. After a second she looked back to Link, then back around to where they'd stepped out into.

There was what seemed to be worn brick walls lining the edge of another ledge. They opened at a part, and the dirt path there led through the opening and over the edge.

As they approached, the two of them paused and quieted entirely. They looked at each other, and didn't even need to speak. The look they gave each other asked the same question- 'do you hear that?'.

Tya was a stranger to real battle, but that sound was unmistakeable. And the way Link moved to draw his weapon confirmed her thoughts...

Tya looked at Link's sword, and then her hands opened again, palms showing toward the ground. This time, she didn't just allow the sparks, she allowed full flames to engulf her hands. The fire against her skin was a magnificent feeling. Not one that burned, not at all, her skin was immune to the heat of fire. But the warmth on her was so soothing. Soothing enough to calm a bit of the worry she held for what may be waiting for them.

If it weren't for the fact that they were about to step into battle, Link probably would have flooded her with questions about what she was doing, but instead he just watched in surprised for a second or two before shaking away the curiosity and starting toward the sounds.

Over the ledge, the two could see a group of smaller red beings with blades surrounding a tan being. The tan one seemed to be a traveler with all the items it held... But it was certainly nothing Tya had ever seen. It was beyond strange to her. Plump and actually rather adorable. It was humanoid, but... Not human.

The red beings were the same- humanoid but bot human. They were hunched over, and far from adorable. She was a little grossed out by them- they seemed.. unclean, though given the fact that there seemed to be nothing but trees around them, it was probably to be expected.

Link's hesitation wasn't long lasted. He jumped down off the edge and rushed toward the group, which immediately turned and became hostile toward him, all but the tan thing.

Tya was going to jump, but she stopped herself, realizing she had a bit more of an advantage at that point. The fire in her hands took the form of a nice tight ball, and shot toward one of the red beings, hitting it hard and practically slinging it away from all the others.

Link thrust his blade through one's stomach, drawing back and swinging around just in time to cut open another's chest. As that one was slain, Tya cast another ball of fire, this one a bit more unruly than the last, and hit the last of the hostile strangers.

When the last fell, Tya slid her way down off the ledge, not nearly as gracefully as Link had. He'd held a hand out to help her, but she didn't see it until she was on the ground and he was chuckling at her.

The tan being moved to both of them, a relieved sigh escaping him before he said "Thanks for jumping in there to rescue me, bud!" And patted Link on the shoulder rather roughly.

"N-No problem." Link replied happily as he directed his attention to the stranger. Tya couldn't help but examine the other carefully. He wore nothing, but his body was decorated with white markings. The largest looked to be a sun, and it was on his stomach. As much as she wanted to ask what he was, she realized that was more than likely rude.

"Just who were those red pests? I did not expect to run into a pack of them in this peaceful forest... Same goes for you. This is the second time I've bumped into one of your kind today, I tell you, all sorts of weird things are going on lately..." The information was given unintentionally, but it was a relief to Tya. Zelda (or who she assumed to be Zelda) passed through. They were on the right track, and Zelda was alright. At least for now... "Hey, bud! I am Gorko the Goron. I am researching the ancient history of these woods here." As he informed the two of his name, he made his way to a worn statue that appeared to be a bird. "According to ancient texts, there is some kind of place up above called the Isle of the Goddess. Far up in the sky! Apparently these old statues serve as landmarks to those traveling up to the sky or down from the Isle of the Goddess Place. I like to keep tabs on the number of landmarks I come across, they are rumored to be quite useful."

Link moved toward the statue as well, looking it over as he neared it. Tya joined him, carefully stepping around the bodies of whatever they'd killed. But her thoughts remained on what this 'Goron' said. She was worried that since they knew a sure way home, Link would once again try to get her to leave... But she was also curious as to what Gorko was saying. He spoke as if he didn't now whether or not this place in the sky truly existed. Then again, for the longest time, she spoke of the surface as if she didn't know it existed...

It was just odd to her to think that others didn't understand her world in the same way she didn't understand theirs.

Her thoughts were brought to a halt by the statue reacting to Link's touch and Gorko reacting excitedly to it. Of course Link had no idea what he did, and apparently neither did the Goron, but whatever it was, he was excited about it.

They had a way home now, able to return should they need more supplies. And Tya's worries were laid to rest when Link turned away from the Goron, waving a simple goodbye that was absently returned- Gorko's interest left the two and now remained on the 'activated' bird statue. He started toward the beacon again without a word to Tya about returning home. But she was a bit surprised that Link wasn't all that interested in what had happened with the statue. Tya just guessed it reacted like it did because they were from the sky which it was supposedly tied to.

They weren't far at all then, the beacon touched the ground on another ledge, where a new path began into a more dense area of the forest. They made their way to the ledge, and Link studied it as if he was trying to find a place he could maybe start to climb. Luckily for Tya, he didn't find one that he could use surely and comfortably... She was no climber.

But after stepping back, Link began to look around. There were a few large stones, but they were dug into the ground and would be difficult to unearth and even more difficult to move and use to get onto the ledge. There was however a large log that lay on its side, and Link seemed to get the idea before Tya did as he was already beginning to move the log. It was easy enough to roll over and against the ledge close enough for them to jump up onto it.

Link motioned for Tya to go first, but Tya refused. She knew he was only being polite, 'ladies first', but she knew she'd more than likely need his help getting up there...

"I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to pull myself up without help." She admitted softly, that worry of being burdensome flooding back into her head. But the smile Link gave eased that some...

He pulled himself up onto the log and jumped a bit to get a hold of the edge. He pulled himself up, then knelt and held his hands out for Tya.

She really couldn't understand why Groose was so unfriendly toward Link... He was sweet even when he had no reason to be...

Tya crawled onto the log as well, one hand placing into Link's, and the other on the ledge. He pulled her up, then turned and looked at the beacon just in front of them.


	7. Chapter 7

"T-Tya.." Link started toward the path the beacon led them to, but he looked back at her as he tried to get her attention. She followed, and only gave a quiet hum in response to let him know she was listening. "S-so that thing you did earlier with your h-hands. The f-fire thing. Th-that didn't hurt?"

"No. The heat of fire has never bothered me much, especially my own." She knew these questions would have come sooner or later. But she honestly didn't mind sating his curiosity.

"W-where'd you learn to d-do it?" He looked down at her hands curiously as he asked, allowing a hand of his own lightly taking her wrist so he could look at her palms. She assumed he was going to look for some sort of sign as to how the magic happened, but instead he just saw the scratches she'd received when she'd fallen."Y-you got scraped up. How?"

"I believe it was something I was born with. My mother taught me how to better control it." She watched as he looked at her hands. His question about the scrapes on her palms brought them to her attention again, though. She'd forgotten about them until he brought them up, but she really shouldn't have. She didn't know what kind of things could possibly cause infections down on the surface, and she worried if she were to get one no one in Skyloft would no how to deal with it. How stupid that would be, to die of some scrapes on her hands and knees... She'd need to clean them as soon as she could.

"I need to work on my landings." She told him with a little bit of a chuckle.

"Th-that magic stuff is n-neat." He stated finally, nodding his head and letting her hand drop back to her side.

"Thank you, I thought so as well. Though I do wish I was able to learn more about it, it seems that not many others in Skyloft have the same ability."

"Did y-you ask?"

"Well- no. I assumed that wouldn't be the best idea. If no one else was able to do these things then I didn't want to draw attention to myself. But I suppose if I wanted to learn about it as much as I thought, I could have tried harder." She'd really only thought about it once or twice, going and talking to others about it. The first few months after losing her mother to sickness, she completely avoided using the magic at all, given that it was too much of a reminder. They used to go out onto a stray piece of land and practice with controlling the fire- it was something the two bonded over. It felt like it had been quite a while since those days, and of course the pain would occasionally creep back in, but Tya knew it was better to move on. She had the memories of her mother, and that would suffice.

Her mind couldn't help but wander back to the old woman in the temple. The simple magic she'd used to place the beacon and how she assumed Link would be able to do it. She wondered if perhaps Link shared these abilities in some manner, but he had not yet unlocked it. The old woman spoke as if Link and Zelda were two very important and mystical beings- that was a normal thing in stories about heros, wasn't it? To have unheard of powers?

But this wasn't a story, so she really shouldn't have begun to think that way. This was life, and things didn't often work like that, whether he was an extremely important person like that or not. Then again, black tornadoes didn't often sweep a young woman through the clouds so she could discover a paramount destiny. And spirits of swords didn't often wake young men up in the middle of the night to lure them to a world that, only a few hours prior, was believed to be a legend.

"Y-You alright there, Tya?" Link leaned over a bit, nudging her shoulder and pulling her attention from her wandering thoughts.

"Yes, sorry, sorry I got sidactred- Uh- Distracted."

What followed was a bit of idle conversation. Nothing of real importance, the two only enjoyed the scenery of the new world and the fact that they had someone by their side to make all of this less overwhelming. There was an occasion where Link drew his blade and pointed it outward but soon returned it to its sheath. A suspicious action in Tya's mind, but not so much that she felt the need to question it...

Tya's previous assumptions about the place not being lived in was somewhat silenced when they came across a rope that was tied to a branch over a small gorge. Evidently something else there had had trouble crossing the gap and therefore created the swing, though Tya was barely strong enough to use it. Link however did so without thought. Just ran, jumped, and swung to the other side rather excitedly.

Chat was soon stilled by a vaguely familiar screech… It was the same sound the two had heard moments before– the one those red 'pests', as Gorko so accurately described, made.

This time there was only two, and they... seemed to be...

Berating a bush...?

Tya didn't question it because the moment she and Link made themselves known the foes turned their hostility toward them. They were quickly slain, and Link and Tya started to continue off in the direction they'd first been going but they were both startled when they realized the bush was rustling.

It pulled itself upward, revealing itself from a camouflage that was actually rather poor- made Tya feel a bit stupid for not having realized what it truly was until that moment.

But the small creature held itself up on two twig-like arms and looked around for a moment, mumbling to itself about the sudden silence. It stood and the part of it that appeared as a plant retracted into something similar to a bulb on its back. At that moment, however, it turned to find Link and Tya both staring at it (with expressions constructed of pure confusion, she didn't doubt).

It squealed, its mumbling increasing as it looked over Link. The only thing Tya could make out was 'please don't hurt me!' before the thing waddled off as fast as it could manage. Which... wasn'tvery, given its portly appearance...

The plea struck guilt into Tya and without thinking, she hurried after it as it made its way up a particularly steep hill.

Link was soon to follow, catching up with a breathless Tya at the top of the hill. She'd never really regretted how little she exercised until a stabbing pain developed in her side...

Link also seemed a bit breathless, but the two of them were allowed to catch it when the sword spirit slithered from the Goddess Sword and took a place in front of them.

"Master, I picked up a highly interesting spike in dowsing readings from the creature you just encountered."

"Really?" Link's brow furrowed a bit, and Fi first replied with a very small nod of her head.

"Yes, Master. Based on the creature's characteristics, I must conclude that it is a peaceful, forest-dwelling animal known as a Kikwi. Kikwis are intelligent beings, capable of speech. However such a creature could obviously not be confused with Zelda. It is unclear why such a creature would elicit a dowsing response attuned to Zelda. You should continue to follow the creature and investigate this phenomenon." She lingered only a second longer before returning back to Link's sword. And of course the confusion that painted Tya's visage hadn't faded in the least.

At first, Link didn't appear to understand why she was confused, and so Tya simply said "dowsing?", which effectively reminded him that Tya hadn't followed him down the spiral path and therefore hadn't been told what dowsing was when he had been.

"O-Oh, I f-forgot to tell you! I-Its a thing the s-sword can do- N-Not sure how it works. But it leads me i-in the direction of Zelda. Or... Its s-supposed to. It l-led us to that K-Kikwi thing, so I d-don't know how accurate it i-is." He reached back to draw the blade from its sheath once again, arching a brow and lightly tilting his head as he looked it over.

"Well Fi said we should follow, yes?" With that, the woman motioned forward as if to tell Link to lead. And he did, skipping a bit to get ahead of her and looking around to try and place where the shuddering little creature had escaped to.

It gave quite the chase, leading them through an area with mushrooms so large Tya at first thought they had to be fake. But they were not. Along with that, there was also quite a few of those plant creatures that had first attacked Tya...

The two of them continuously tried to convince the Kikwi that they meant no harm. It took a while for it to actually sink in that they were only chasing it because they wanted to talk, and that mixed with the fact that it had gotten worn out finally made it give up.

It finally just plopped over with a quiet squeal.

Crouching in front of it, Link said again what they'd been trying to tell it the entire time: "We a-aren't trying to h-hurt you, we just want to know if you've seen anything." By then, they were both equally out of breath, which Tya found strange. She was much less in shape than Link was, and yet running about like that to try and catch the thing had made him wary. But again, she didn't ask questions.

"You don't want to... Eat me? Kwee... And come to think of it, why did you fight off all those red monsters?" Slowly, the Kikwi pulled itself back up and looked Link over, then Tya. Another strange sound left it before it started again. "I'm Machi... You seem OK, even though you're scary... Thanks for helping me!"

"Are you alright then?" Tya could guess that from the amount of running the little plump thing had just done, that it was, but it was still safe to ask.

She moved to take a seat in the grass next to it, and Link watched her for a moment before smiling down at the Kikwi again.

It wasn't until then, until she was actually resting, that she realized she'd yet to really sleep... She'd gotten a small amount, maybe two hours at the most, in Link's room. But other than that, she hadn't gotten the chance to do so. It was her own fault really, and she wouldn't allow it to get in the way. She didn't doubt that Link would soon grow tired as well, and she'd just have to hope she could last until then.

The little sound it uttered in response to Tya's question sounded positive enough, and she assumed that meant Machi was fine. And then it paused, seeming to think for a second before starting again. "Its weird- kee-koo. A little while ago I ran into another funny animal like you, but that one was like this one. A girl, right?" Machi motioned to Tya before looking back up at Link.

"Was her name Zelda?" Tya had been relaxed, leaning back on her hands to try and catch her breath, but the moment the Kikwi mentioned seeing another of their kind she sat straight, and leaned a bit closer in a way that implied urgency.

"I don't know who this girl was, koo-kwee, but she was in a bunch of trouble when I saw her. A pack of those mean red guys were after her, kwee, but she escaped with the Kikwi elder."

The statement worried Tya greatly, but at the same time she was relieved to hear Zelda had escaped. Whether or not she had been found again by the creatures was yet to be determined, but as far as she knew Zelda was safe. Looking to Link, she could see what appeared to be the same mixture of feelings...

Upon hearing this, though, the spirit in Link's sword once again appeared. When she formed, another squeal left Machi and it plopped over to allow the plant in its back to pop out as its camouflage again.

"Master, we have obtained new information on Zelda's current status." Fi started as she turned to look down at the badly hidden Kikwi. "This information indicates that she was assailed by monsters but somehow evaded capture. However, I infer that she is still in significant danger. I recommend marking the position of the Kikwi known as Machi on your map so we may return to him. Furthermore, my analysis suggests that this kikwi most likely produces a false-positive dowsing reaction due to previous direct contact with Zelda. Using this hypothesis, I theorize there is an 85% chance that the Kikwi elder will also generate a dowsing reaction for the same reason. I propose you continue dowsing to search for Zelda." Before any questions could be asked about it, Fi returned to the sword, and the Kikwi slowly pulled itself up again.

"You really spooked me, kwee... You keep some very strange company, friend. It sounds like you're set on finding this friend and the elder. If you're heading that way anyway, kwee, would you mind telling our elder that I'm safe?" Machi paused to look over the two dour expressions Link and Tya held. After taking a second to think it happily popped up and continued with "cheer up, koo-weep! I bet your friend is safe with our elder!"

Link gave a smile, and nodded his head as he shifted to pull the map from his satchel. "We w-will let the e-elder know you're a-alright when we find him." He searched a second on the map before marking down a spot near Machi's location.


	8. Chapter 8

The two left Machi with a solemn air about them. Though they were both concerned and nervous, wondering what became of their friend, they pushed on. They proceeded to find the Kikwi Elder. A large and absolutely obnoxious creature. Tya refrained from making her aggravation with him known, but it was most certainly there, as he claimed to forget any information he had on Zelda until they found the other scattered Kikwi. Tedious work, exploring an unknown forest to find animals that were surprisingly well camouflaged. At least some of them were.

It was not all an annoyance though, as monotonous as it was, she was able to spend more time with Link. Any true opportunity she'd gotten to do so before, she'd passed up for various reasons, but now that she was giving him a chance, she was finding that he was actually really great. So incredibly sweet and innocent- a gentleman in his actions despite them being stuck in a place that certainly didn't demand it with a woman that would have been fine without it.

She didn't need it, and until he gave it she thought she didn't even want it, but when he gave it she made it clear she was appreciative.

They worked quickly with little interference from those red creatures. When all was done, they returned to the Elder with the information. They were rewarded with knowledge of Zelda's whereabouts, and then a simple device The Elder declared was an heirloom- a slingshot. With thanks given from both sides, Tya and Link hastily began off again, this time in the direction the Elder had pointed them. Toward the temple in which they'd find Zelda... at least they hoped.

 

The last slash of Link's sword through the chest of one of those red creatures echoed off the rocks around them. Tya took a first step back on to solid ground after crossing a thin rope over a canyon- a wonder she managed to do it without falling.

"S-Sorry, I didn't help." Link turned to her, flashing a sheepish smile as he did.

"It's fine, though I wouldn't say you weren't helping. You killed that thing so it didn't kill me- not to mention you went across first and risked getting knocked off by it." She motioned to the corpse of the creature.

"Now th-that I think about it, y-you probably could have just killed it f-from across the thing so neither of u-us had to risk getting hurt." Link arched a brow, peeking past her to see the ledge they'd just come from. She looked back, but when her mouth opened to speak she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Now, there is a face I know! Hey, bud! I got something I need your help with. Come over here and take a look!" It made both of them flinch, and took a second for the two to place the source. but their attention was drawn up to a ledge on which Gorko stood.

Link was much too nice to pass it up- he started off in a heartbeat to find a way up to the Goron, much to Tya's dismay. But it wasn't voiced, yet again, she just kept herself quiet and followed.

Followed only to be faced with obstacles that she was less than prepared for. Her lack of upper arm strength very nearly left her behind multiple times, and with every instance Link needed to help her, she felt more and more guilty. Despite the fact that Link didn't seem to mind helping her at all.

Finally, though, they reached the spot where Gorko stood with a strange, very intricately designed cube. It was quite beautiful actually.

"I tell you, your timing could not have been better. Look here. I stumbled onto one of these things just now, and it looks just like something I have seen in those ancient texts! If I remember right... Yup, this is one of the things the goddess was said to have left behind for the hero of legend.  
Pretty amazing, right? I even thought up a name for these things. I have been calling them Goddess Cubes! Makes sense, right? Those ancient texts say some real interesting stuff about these things. How did it go again? Let me see, uh...'Summon forth the light from a heavenly blade, and may that sword's master receive aid.' So there you have it. I see you got yourself a sword there. What do you say we try and crack the mystery of this cube together?" An elbow moved to roughly nudge Link's shoulder, very nearly knocking the exhausted boy over. He stumbled a bit before chuckling and nodding.

"Y-Yeah, sure, I can d-do that. Or uh, I can t-try." Link unsheathed his blade, and as he did Gorko started again.

"This cube is made of some sort of metal I have never seen. I have whaled on it, but nothing happens. You know, bud, I would say the key to cracking this egg is that one line. You know, 'the light from a heavenly blade'?" As he spoke, Link rose the sword to the sky again. Light traced the blade and when it reached the hilt, Link swung downward, allowing the light to spill out toward the cube.

And the cube reacted instantly with the strike and in a matter of seconds it faded away into a burst of light that shot to the sky. The three all stepped back, watching as it disappeared into the clouds. They stood in silence for a second, but it was broken quickly by Gorko's rather loud response.

"WHOOOA! Did you see that?! The cube just shot up into the sky!" Gorko moved to the spot where the cube had sat, looking up from there like he'd still be able to see it. Of course, he didn't, and then he turned back to Link. "I think it reacted to that whirly-beam thing that shot out of your sword. And where do you think the cube shot off to, anyhow This mystery just got a whole lot more, uh, mysterious! The texts say there are cubes like that one all over this land. Tell you what. You blast as many of those cubes as you can find. If you find out more about them along the way, you come see me."

A silent agreement was given to that and Link stepped back to disengage.

"There's more of those things?" Tya questioned as she turned to start following him.

"Apparently. W-When we go b-back home, we will have to see if th-they did anything." He moved to the ledge to look around, and then motioned toward the temple. "We a-are actually in a g-good spot, see th-there's a gap before the t-temple but we can get t-to it from up here.

I-It's getting l-late anyway, we n-need to go back b-before it gets d-dark." Another motion in the direction of the temple where one of those strange bird statues sat. "H-He said th-those things will t-take us home, right?"

"But we may lose Zelda if we leave now. The Elder said she's inside the temple."

"Sh-She's got to sleep too, Tya. If sh-she's been traveling a-and running from monsters all day, I bet she's t-tired too." After Link spoke Tya went quiet, knowing he was right. But that didn't mean she approved...

The statue did as Gorko said it would, it took them home. In a strange way but nothing about that situation was exactly normal. Shot up to the sky by a hard gust of wind, and caught on their Loftwings. They separated then, returning to separate homes before night fell.

When Tya awoke, her entire body ached from the adventures the day before. She was not used to that kind of movement. Not used to that. Her body was not prepared to be pushed as it was, and yet she rose from bed, bathed, and put on something new.

She went out with the intention of pricing camping equipment in case they ever got stuck on the surface, but when she got to the bazaar, Link was already there buying what was needed. Buying enough for the both of them. A thick fabric tent that wrapped around a few rods and thus, made itself rather small- a good thing for travel. A backpack which he was shown how to attach two bedrolls to, and then a belt- not one that was sold originally, but one that he paid to have modified with a little strap and a pouch. The strap, at that point, held the slingshot, and Tya assumed the pouch held ammunition for it.

A wonderful idea in her head, one she never would have come up with. He was obviously much more well-equipped for survival than she was...

With some supplies acquired, the two began out again, dropping back down to the surface. With Fi's assistance they landed themselves right before the temple that was their destination.  
Tya met the ground again in a less than graceful manner, though this time she caught herself before falling completely on her hands and knees.

Link however, seemed to know what he was doing when he landed, swinging his feet out first and kind of running a bit to keep himself up.

When seeing this, an aggravated sigh left the woman before she stood. She didn't think it could be so simple to land easily, but he certainly made it look that way. She moved to his side, eyes catching a glimpse of the sailcloth in his hands.

"It's Zelda's." She pointed out, nodding her head toward it. She'd remembered giving critiques as Zelda made it, and remembered seeing it wrapped around her shoulders the day of the ceremony.

"Y-Yeah, I won i-it. She d-did a good j-job making it, d-didn't she?" He held the half folded cloth up to show Tya, and she nodded after a second. He finished folding it up and put it away just as a light began to pour from his sword, and take form of the spirit again.

"Master Link," Fi began as her form fully became visible to the two. "I have detected Zelda's aura from deep within this temple. I recommend opening the large door." One of her 'arms' drew back and extended toward the temple's door.

"So she's still here? We aren't too late- we should hurry." With no hesitation, Tya hurried forward and up the stairs where she set a hand against a beautifully designed door. Link followed, as did Fi.

"However, I have also detected the presence of numerous monsters. Are you sure you want to proceed?"

"Of course!" Tya shot back toward the spirit before Link could even respond.

"It would be very unwise to display overconfidence here. Within the walls of this place, no one will come to your aid."

"We will help each other..." Tya quieted a bit, eyes flickering from Fi to Link before going back to the door.

"We g-got some s-supplies too, i-in Skyloft this m-morning. Stuff th-that's s-supposed to help if we get hur-hurt. S-So we will have that too." Link reached over to lightly pat the oversized pack Tya carried. In response to this, Fi gave a nod then returned to the sheathed blade. Link looked at Tya and offered a closed smile, one which was surprisingly comforting, despite knowing she was about to walk into a dark temple full of monsters...

She gave a smile in return before looking to the door again. As she looked it up and down, a small glimpse of a bright red color caught her eye, and she looked directly above her head. She stepped back, tilted her head, then nudged Link.

"That might be the way to open it. Or just a decoration we are about to break for no real reason." Her hands went to ignite, but Link stopped her and pointed to the slingshot.

"Th-the fire might d-destroy it." He said simply, pulling the little tool off it's new spot on his belt, and then a seed from the pouch. As Link prepared to shoot, she stopped him and pulled him back a few steps.

"Just in case it shatters or something-" Was all she offered as her excuse, and Link nodded before releasing a shot at the diamond like piece. When the shot landed, it seemed to release into a bunch of smaller diamonds. Not in an unorganized, shattered fashion. It lost its color, and the diamonds froze in the air. For a second all was still and quiet, and then a loud crack echoed from the door. Dust blew upward, and as it started to pull open, a gust of cold wind drenched the two.

There they stood, at the top of a flight of stairs that seemed never ending as they disappeared into darkness. It was Link's turn then, to show discomfort. It was brief, barely noticeable, but the way his steps shifted and he swallowed was enough to signal it to those paying attention.

But his expression twisted to one of determination, and without a word he started inward. It wasn't long before the light of day disappeared behind them, leaving only the gentle luminescence of some strange fungi. When the brighter light faded though, Tya held a hand out and let the fire engulf it to light the way.

The farther down they got, the more their eyes were allowed to adjust to the dim lighting, and they were mostly able to see the ruined temple that surrounded them.

"Its kind of pretty." Tya said quietly, looking at the vines and roots that poured over the walls, then the mushrooms that illuminated small areas.

"I-In a creepy kind of w-way. I bet it l-looked a lot better w-when it was new." He kept moving forward, slower though when he realized Tya had stopped. It was like silent urging, when he kept walking, and Tya caught on quick to keep following. She went to reply, but refrained when a soft squeaking sound met her. Link seemed to hear it too, and he moved to draw his blade.

"You know that sound? Is it something dangerous?" Her voice dropped just above a whisper, and the fire she was using to light the area flickered a bit more.

"Not too bad, but st-still. Wouldn't want to get attacked a-at all. Just keese." He kept moving, the squeaking becoming louder before the culprit revealed itself. Of course, the poor thing was cut down quickly. Simple enemies, but Tya couldn't help but think there was going to be a lot worse... A few more steps forward and they were both very nearly caught up in a web that Tya just accepted as confirmation toward her thoughts. There was no way something small could make a web like that, no matter how long those ruins had been abandoned...

Whatever it was though, seemed to have long since moved, and Link cut the web down so they could pass without any problems. The sounds attracted the attention of more Keese, which Tya got the chance to handle before they came too close.

They set their first steps on solid ground again only to be met with a dead end. A barred door lay before them, and after some mediocre investigation they took a step back.

"How did she even get through the temple without disturbing half of this stuff?" Tya asked absently with aggravation as she moved to the stairs again. She didn't stray far, just up a few to look around the corner and see if they'd missed anything.

"W-who knows, nothing makes any s-sense right now... I think there's a-another one of th-those s-switches here, but these s-stupid trees are in the way." Link looked past a bunch of thin trees and put his hands on some conveniently placed vines. It was like a trigger, to touch the vines, because when he did an all too familiar sound resonated through the area.

On the ledge where the switch sat, just over the top of the small trees, Tya could see one of those dreaded plants.

Link quickly retracted his hand and stumbled back as he was unable to see where the enemy lay. He calmed though, when he realized it wasn't anywhere that it could attack him.

The fire in Tya's hands took shape of a sphere, and she prepared to fling it forward at the practically rabid plant, but Link stopped her again.

"I-It m-might catch the trees." He said, drawing his sword.

"Well you can't try to climb up there. The trees are in the way, and that thing will get you. They are thin though, cut them down?"

"Why do you th-think I drew the s-sword?" He replied, somehow managing to exaggerate a matter-of-fact tone. One which Tya mocked playfully as she watched him move forward and take a good swing at the trees. It was an effective swing, and once the cut was made he hurried to step back so they didn't fall on him. They were small, small enough that he'd be able to catch them and toss them aside if they fell on him. But that didn't mean he was going to let that happen. With the trees out of the way, he lightly tapped Tya, who once again readied the fire and released it, effectively slaying the enemy.

"I-It's useful to have s-some good ranged fighting." He nudged her before sheathing the blade and leaping up onto the vines.

Whether it was meant as one or not, she took it as a compliment, and it brought a smile to her face, but she didn't know how to respond. As he went to climb up, Tya arched a brow at him and asked "why don't you just shoot the switch again?"

"B-because th-there might be something i-interesting up here!" He pulled himself up after the short climb and looked around.

"Well is there?" Her arms crossed over her chest.

"...No," he laughed. "But we know that now, because I looked." With that, he hit the switch, and it dispersed in the same manner as the one before. He slid off the edge, landing on his feet when he fell, and the bars that kept them from the other side lifted.

He went to the door, feeling over it to find out which way it opened from. It took a second for him to figure it out, but when he did he bent and lifted it from the bottom. The little budge he gave it allowed whatever mechanisms behind it to take over, and it lifted the rest on its own.

They stepped into a new room, and the door fell closed behind them. The roughness in which it fell caused them both to flinch, but regardless they carried on up the stairs before them. A creepy sight unfolded from there.

They stared at the door in front of them, and it stared back- not something a door should ever be capable of doing. But after a moment of the two just watching it, and it just watching them, they decided they should actually do something.

"Uh..." Tya took her eyes off it only to look around for another of the red switches. One wasn't found, and so she of course resorted to the fire. A hand held out, and before she lit it she looked at Link. He just shrugged in response, obviously not knowing how to deal with that either. A ball of fire was cast at it, but before it hit the eye slammed closed, and reopened when the fire died. She huffed, allowing her hand to drop back to her side. The eye watched the motion of her hand, and Link seemed to get an idea from that. His sword was drawn quick, and the eye flickered to the blade. He waved it a bit to see if it still followed, and it did, so he continued to move it. After a second, the eye turned red and though his blade stopped, it continued to move in a circle. It then rolled back, closed, fell to the ground, and the barred door below it opened.

"...How did you know that would happen?" Tya turned to start down the stairs to go around. Link just jumped over the edge and went to pull the door up as she met him.

"I d-didn't, I just kn-know my eyes get t-tired when I do s-something like that, so I figured it was worth a t-try."

A small hall was what the door opened to, and with little thought the two hurried into it. But that sound again caused her to come to an immediate stop, and grab Link. She did so just in time too, because one of those plants descended from the ceiling and snapped at the male. She just instinctively pulled him back and out of its reach. Before she could light it, Link shoved his sword into its mouth and through it.

When it fell, he pointed to a base on the ceiling right after the first that looked similar. They both thought it safe to assume there was another one awaiting the fool that stepped without being wary.

Stepping forward alerted the enemy they were there, and when it came down, it got a mouth full of fire.

Walking out into the open area, a skittering sound caused Tya to turn back and she noticed the vines around the entry way. Again, conveniently placed, was another ledge just above them. On the vines, though, were a few spiders. They were much too large for her comfort, and the look of disgust on her face made that clear. She tugged at Link's sleeve though, getting him to turn so he could see the vines.

"Want to see what's up there?" She pointed to it, letting her attention turn to him as she awaited a response. He watched it for a second before narrowing his eyes and nodding. He pulled the sling shot off his belt, and launched a seed at the spiders that made a home on the vine. Tya would have helped, but much like the trees before, vines were flammable.

Link climbed up to the ledge, disappearing from Tya's view. After a second she heard a bit of crashing, then he leaned over the edge and smiled down at her.

"Th-There's a q-quicker way back to the e-entrance h-here, instead of climbi-ing all those stairs, so if we w-want to go back out we can just climb up and go th-this way." He looked back at it, then down to her again. His breathlessness was obvious in his talking, though it didn't seem to phase him much. It worried Tya, but she figured he'd know his own limits better than she would.

"Anything else interesting?" She asked, getting only a shake of his head in response before he started to climb down again. He just crawled over the vines a bit until he was felt he was at a good height to drop down, and then they started again.

Moving out into the main area of the room got the attention of a green skinned creature. It rushed them, wobbling forward and screeching from behind the skull it used as a mask. This time, Link detached his shield, holding it over his head as he charged forward. It was just a precaution, because he thrust his sword through the thing's stomach before it got the chance to attack him. It fell quickly and easily, and he reattached the shield to its place on the strap over his back. He just kept his sword drawn then, which made sense in Tya's head. He seemed to have to draw it every other second anyway.

With the foe slain, they were able to look around at where they stood. In the middle of three new doors. The one to the right seemed the one that would be easiest to open, as the switch was visible right over it. Link's attention had quickly turned to it and Tya's was soon to follow, when she heard the little snap sound made when Link shot the slingshot.

Another switch triggered, and they began into a new room. Another of those webs nearly caught them, but it was cut down. This time though, they got to find just what it was making them. Not that either of them were exactly happy to find out.

A plaque sat at the end of a narrow walkway, and if it weren't for the shadow of a very large spider like creature, Link would have walked right out to it only to be mauled. Tya had grabbed his sleeve as if to stop him, despite him not actually moving forward at that point. He didn't exactly seem to mind, but he did know he needed to get closer to read the weathered stone. A hand rose to rest over Tya's, lightly pulling at it so she'd let go, and when she reluctantly complied he stepped forward silently. His eyes remained locked on that spider. He got close enough to read it, but just as he did the creature descended and dangled on a web between him and the plaque.

He stumbled back, pulling his sword and detaching the shield. Tya moved to the edge, sure not to get behind him so he could come off the walkway if needed, and her hands lit up. A good swing hit the spider, but instead of any damage being done, the spider started to swing, and Link stumbled again as his arm was forced back unwillingly. A slightly pained gasp left him, as he hadn't expected such a response, but he didn't let it stop him. Shield held at his front, he went in close again. As it stopped spinning, Tya and Link both realized it was now facing the wrong way, and thus it made visible a bright purple inside. Neither of them knew what exactly it was, but just figured it was safe to assume that was the weak spot.

Link got in another hit that would have been a good one, and Tya managed to throw a fire ball right past it. With the way it was swinging, it was making it a difficult target, and when Link would hit it, it would only pick up the pace again. He stepped back finally, seemingly aggravated with the thing. Luckily neither of them were close enough to be attacked back. It seemed content on its string, wanting nothing more than to be disgusting and give some warning hisses in their direction.

Link grabbed Tya's wrist and held her hand out, closing one eye to aim her hand, but realized he was in a bad spot. So he moved behind her, watching the way the creature still swung. He aimed her hand where he wanted it.

"Light i-it, but w-wait till I tell you." He said quietly, obviously concentrated on what he was doing.

"Why don't you use the slingshot?" She leaned away from him a bit only so she could look at him and properly convey her confusion toward his actions.

"Because its n-not strong enough and if my s-sword bounces back, I don't know if th-the s-seeds will." He explained, shaking her hand a bit like that would help ignite it. She sighed, lit her hand up as told, and he held her arm in place, waiting until just the right second before saying "now."

The fire balled up and shot, hitting what they'd assumed was the weak spot almost exactly and knocking the spider off its web to the ground beneath the walkway. Link released Tya, moving to the edge to watch as the pest curled up and died.

"I-I've got good f-frickin aim!"He exclaimed as he pointed down to the corpse. His little celebration was not long lasted, though. After that, he moved down the walkway. He looked back to see if Tya was following to read for herself, but when he saw she hadn't he looked to the words and started to read aloud.

"Two d-doors lead to r-rooms left and right, but th-they will only o-open when th-the gemstones are st-struck. One is above, one below." That cued them both to start looking toward the ceiling.

When nothing was found, they started to look over the edge, and as they did, Link moved back to Tya's side. It took a second to spot what appeared to be a crawl space, and Link pointed it out.

"Below" he stated with a sense of accomplishment in his tone.

"There's water though– if my hands get wet I can't light the fire."

"Its sh-shallow, y-you'd be able to d-dry them o-off on your sh-shirt. If you want to s-stay here, I c-can go alone. I th-think the door i-it was talking about was o-out th-there, so I-I will n-need to come back to th-this room. I-If not, I'll t-tell you."

She shifted uncomfortably, not entirely sure what to say. If he went alone, there was the possibility of something on the other side waiting to harm him. He could handle himself, but she worried.

"I'll go too. I don't want anything to happen to you. We will have to come back for this, I don't think it'll fit through the space." She decided finally, starting to unstrap the pack from her shoulders. Link nodded, looking over the edge again as he waited for her. When she was done, he stepped over like it was nothing, landing in shallow water with a splash. He turned back, looking up at her as if to silently coax her over the edge. After a bit of hesitation she jumped too. It was simply precaution, the way Link held his hands out to catch her in case she stumbled.

She got her balance before the gesture was needed, and she wrinkled her nose at the water that splashed up on her clothing. It had done the same to Link, but he didn't seem to mind it in the least- she couldn't imagine why he'd be okay with it. He'd be walking around in drenched boots for the duration of their adventure.

With no uncertainty, the male knelt into the water and started to crawl through the open space. Tya, however, she hesitated. She needed a second to prepare for feeling completely defenseless in a place full of monsters. She followed though, eventually.

Luckily the tunnel was short, and when she stood again she dried her hands on the parts of her shirt that weren't damp. The switch was propped up on a pedestal, and easy to find. The room was small, and really Tya felt she could have easily stayed back and waited for his return. A grumpy little huff escaped the mage, but beyond that she kept quiet. She'd rather have wasted energy than let him get hurt.

Link used his slingshot once again to trigger the switch, and after he slipped it back into its place on his belt he turned to Tya and smiled. "N-Not hard. I expected a ch-challenge. N-Not complaining though." He motioned toward the crawlspace again, but the two paused before making any move to go toward it.

The sound of falling water got their attention, and a moment after hearing it, water began to flood through the space. Tya stepped back, watching the water as it quickly began to fill the room. While she just stood there, Link actually tried to do something. The slingshot was drawn and another shot fired at the switch, to try and stop it- turn the flow off, but no response from the gemstone.

The sound of the seed cracking brought Tya back, and she pushed her panic aside to start looking around.

"Tya-" Link moved to her, grabbing her arm and motioning with his free hand to some more conveniently placed vines. They hurried to it, and with little thought and effort, Link lifted Tya so she could better reach them. A little squeak was stifled as she latched on and pulled herself up a bit.

Difficult to hang on with the lack of strength panic over drowning- or even just drenched, but she still paused and looked back to make sure Link was following. He did, immediately after, and even with her having a head start, he beat her to the top. By the time they both settled in the opening the vines led to, the water had stopped which, needless to say, eased their panic a lot.

Neither had any idea how high the water was going to go or if it was going to stop at all. Tya only assumed they'd done it wrong- this was some sort of trap. But it appeared she was wrong- the water stopped and seemed to have no intention of harming them. Perhaps that meant it was supposed to help...

Another small crawlspace led them back out to the room they killed the spider in. Tya collected the pack again, and after a brief look around they decided that room had nothing else left for them.

"I'm s-sorry you ended up g-getting wet. Does th-the th-thing still work?" He motioned to her hands as they stepped out into the main room.

"It's alright. It wasn't your fault, you've no need to apologize." She held her hands up, trying to light them, but getting only a few sparks and a weak flame. "It'll dry quickly, I'm sure. My sleeves are wet, but I don't think they are soaked enough to drip into the fire."

"Th-That'll put it out?" He looked to the chained door, and then to the other, still barred one across from them.

"And hurt a little." It was still barred so evidently they still needed another switch. Not a surprise, the plaque had told them there were two. One above and one under.

"The f-fire hurts?" Link's eyes searched the ceiling, but nothing was found. "Th-that one was h-high up, right? That one must h-have been above."

"When its not put out at my will it hurts a little. Aches." That one was above, meaning the second had to be below. She moved to the edge of the walkway they stood on and looked over the floor visible to her. "There are gaps beneath the bridges."

"S-So maybe u-under one of th-them?" Link nodded, looking around to see if there was a good spot he could use to get down. None was found, so he detached the strap that held his sword and shield and held it out to Tya. "H-hold these, d-don't want them to get we-wet."

The switch was found beneath the door they intended to go into next. How he triggered it without his blade, Tya didn't know nor did she ask. Judging by the sounds, he just kicked it until it worked, but it was irrelevant. It worked, and they began into the next room.


	9. Chapter 9

The door fell closed behind them, and the moment Tya looked around the room a grimace was what formed on her face. At one point, the bridge over the gap that lead to the other side would have been useful. But the fauna seemed to have different plans- two webs extended from the ceiling to the stone, and on each was another of those large (disgusting) spiders. Their webs were full and sturdy it seemed, and with no way to get up on the other side if they dropped down, it seemed like they were stuck. The armor on the front of them was too strong for Link's sword, and he risked getting too close and having one of them actually attack. They didn't know the damage they could inflict, but Tya figured they were both okay with not finding out.

Link walked the floor before them, looking for any way they could deal with this when he spotted some thick vines dangling from branches. He waved Tya over and nodded toward them.

"H-How do you think those w-would hold up with o-our weight?"

"You can't seriously be thinking about swinging from them."

"Y-you've got a better pl-plan?" A brow raised at her and he awaited a response, then smirked when she rolled her eyes. "You n-need to th-think outside the b-box. I-Improvise, Ty. Not e-everything always works l-like its supposed to. It-its not that far of a d-drop anyway." He looked to the floor, then to the vine.

He took some steps back before running and leaping over the edge. The moment he was able to, he took hold of the vine. The force of his jump swung him forward on the vine, and without hesitation he grabbed onto a second one. On that one, he had to build his momentum a bit, but managed to land safely on the other side, then looked at Tya and smiled.

"There's a sw-switch." He called over to her breathlessly, pointing to part of the wall that she couldn't see well with the trees in the way. "C-Come across, w-we will kill these g-guys and g-get it."

Tya bit the inside of her lip then, looking at the vines then at him. She had no idea if she'd be able to make it across. Her body still ached from the previous days activities, and she didn't have much strength to begin with. This wasn't a good idea.

She slid the pack off and set it aside, feeling that it would only get in her way and further restrict movement.

He should send her home for being useless.

She looked at the vines again. She knew he could see it- the uncertainty she held toward doing this.

"Hang o-on, okay?"

A simple statement that made everything inside her drop so easily. Even more when she watched him go behind the creatures on their webs and thrust his sword through the weak spots, thus opening the way for her.

She was holding him back. In the way- she never should have insisted she came along. This was his destiny, not hers, she was dead weight. A burden. Not needed.

"Y-You coming?" Link picked the pack up off the floor where she'd set it when she was preparing to jump and held it out to her. She nodded and silently took it, sliding it back on to cross now cleared bridge.

Link triggered the switch, causing more water to pour into the area like the last time. Though this time, their place on the walkway kept them from getting even more wet- something Tya was thankful for. She didn't need something to render her even more useless than she already was.

Another plaque sat next to a flight of stairs- this one read 'Gaze upon your map until your eye finds the x, for it is there that you must strike a glittering gemstone to reveal a path. You shall find a temple map in a room with two such gemstones.'

"Whoever it is leaving these hints for you, are not all that great at riddles. Not a complaint, I'm thankful they are pretty easy to read, but still. I figured they'd be a bit more difficult at least." Tya spoke quietly after reading the plaque.

In response, Link chuckled, taking a step back to start up the stairs. "Well, th-there were two switches in the l-last room. M-Maybe we missed it?"

Tya thought back, not remembering seeing anything that may contain a map. The times she'd looked around, she'd been looking for a switch, though, so she wouldn't have been surprised if her mind just slipped over it.

The stairs led up to another door, one which opened back into the main room, though this time they seemed to be up on a ledge. The ledge led to a thick tree that they stepped up on and noticed a light blue chest at the end of it. The tree was thick enough to cross safely, so there was little problem in getting to the chest. It lay unlocked, waiting for Link to open it. When he did, he found a well preserved map.

After pulling it out, he let the lid of the chest fall back so it would remain open, and he plopped down with his legs dangling over the side of the tree. He looked up at Tya, flashing a smile before motioning to the spot next to him.

She took the seat, pulling the pack off and letting it rest behind them as he unfolded the map. On it was an 'x' already marked, showing the spot they'd find the switch like the plaque said.

"I-I think th-those are doors, right? And those are sh-shaped like treasure chests." Link pointed to some thicker lines along the walls and then little blue markings that resembled the chest they'd just opened. "I-I'd say that this o-one here is where Zelda's pr-probably waiting on us." He pointed to the door symbol on the far end of the temple, then looked to Tya to see if she had anything to say.

"So the chained up door is where we will need to go. Figures. It looks as if we need a key." From up there, the entire room was visible to them, including that particular door. So as she spoke, that's where her attention turned.

"The m-map says there's another s-spot in that first r-room we went in, and a chest. If we h-haven't found it in a-all th-the other spots, it's probably in there."

"...You said Zelda's waiting on you. Do you really think she knows you are here?" Her eyes went to the map again where they'd decided Zelda was, and she sighed quietly. Looking at the rest of it all, at the places they'd not been yet... It was becoming more and more obvious to her that she was not supposed to be here. Not cut out for doing this, no matter how much she felt she owed it to Zelda to help her.

"I said us." Link corrected. Again, something so simple yet it helped... "I d-don't know. I-I feel like she probably d-does. I can't be th-the only o-one that got that wh-whole 'this is m-my d-destiny' lecture. Besides, sh-she's no idiot, she can't th-think no one would come aft-after her. G-Groose wanted to apparently. I-I was kinda afraid he'd t-try to follow me when I l-left again." He turned to fold the dungeon map and slip it into an outside pocket on the pack. It was then she noticed he was kind of shivering, not that she was surprised. He was wet.

"Would you have come after her if Fi hadn't come to you?" She watched him shake for a moment longer before looking at herself. Her pants were almost dry then- warm too. It hadn't been too long, but her body was naturally much warmer than a normal person's. The heat helped her dry quicker. She opened her hands flat and summoned the fire. It flickered a bit before taking a full form in her hands, and then she looked at Link.

"I d-don't know. I would have g-gone to l-look, yeah, but I th-think I would have f-figured she was d-dead if I found out sh-she fell through the clouds." An understandable response. Tya likely would have done the same if she'd not followed to the goddess statue that night. "How c-come you were so s-set on coming after her?" He held his hands out near Tya's, warming them against the heat of her fire.

"Because I feel as if she deserves it. She's... helped me a lot in ways that other people probably wouldn't. I felt it just went without saying that she deserves the same in return." She twisted a bit, the hand in which the fire sat moving closer to him. It was obvious she was manipulating it when he failed to draw his hands back quick enough. It had parted so his hands wouldn't be burned.

"She helped?" His eyes remained locked on the fire as if he was wary of it- afraid she'd burn him. A proper response, she'd thought. He didn't know it, but she wouldn't let him be hurt, at least not by anything under her control.

"Yes, on quite a few occasions." Finally she rested her hand with the back of it against his knee, and he relaxed a bit to just let the warmth soak in.

"With what?"

"I..." She paused then, biting the inside of her lip. It wasn't something she liked to talk about, and honestly, to her, Link seemed like the kind of person that would brush it off with cliché answers that didn't help. He may have genuinely meant them, but that didn't mean they actually meant anything to her. But those thoughts had long since faded away, such idle responses weren't needed anymore. "I was... Not alright." She replied at first, catching the confused look he gave her out of the corner of her eye. "I locked myself away and it hurt, but when she found out she pulled me out and made me do things that made me feel worth it again."

"Worth it?"

"Worth a life."

"You didn't th-think you were?"

"No, I told myself things that hurt. Not on purpose, the thoughts were just there and I couldn't stop them, so I believed them." It was difficult to explain. She hid things away, hid herself away. She made herself lonely because she told herself she deserved it. There were many things that factored in and beat her down, and when they did, she did nothing to stop it. She took it all and kept quiet.

When Zelda came in, she forced Tya to talk- something that didn't help at first. In fact it aggravated Tya. Made her hate Zelda and wish she'd leave her alone, but her persistence finally worked. Talk and she'll go away. Zelda had a tendency to think her way was always the right way, and so she'd make others do what she wanted. It didn't always work, and some times it went very bad, but with Tya it seemed she succeeded.

She forced Tya to talk, kept her from being lonely, but when she needed it still let her be alone. She always chose the right words, even if they didn't seem right at the time. Talked her away from the bad thoughts and helped her motivate herself enough to live. Zelda didn't just settle with the phrase 'oh, it'll get better', no. She led Tya in the direction she thought would show her that it would get better. It wasn't something that would have worked for a lot of people, but luckily it was just what Tya needed.

"I think we've had a long enough break, we should go again." Tya closed her hand, allowing the fire to extinguish as she retracted. When the warmth went out, a little quiet whine left Link, but he didn't complain further, just pulled himself to his feet and picked up the pack. When Tya stood, he handed it out to her, and they started back in the direction they'd come.


	10. Chapter 10

They returned to the first room they'd went in, searching for a way to get to the other side, but found nothing that would help them. After wasting time looking in there, they decided to go back to the main room. Both of them seemed to be completely stumped on what to do next, when Link noticed another section of vines that led up to the door they needed to go through. With that set of well placed vines was a well placed log in the water.

He tested it first, jumping from the walkway onto the log. He caught his balance pretty quickly, then got Tya to toss over the pack- that way if she fell in at least their things wouldn't be ruined. They got their way up onto the ledge and to the door like they needed.

A skulltula blocked the way, having unfortunately made its home in the exact spot they needed to open the barred door with a chest behind it. After it was killed, two more of those strange eye switches were unlocked and they were allowed to retrieve the key they needed.

Back in the main room, they made their way across and unlocked the chains that kept them from the door they needed to open. When Link got it open, they stepped out into a much larger area...

 

Immediately in front of them was another switch above a barred door that lead into a structure in the middle of the area– it seemed pretty obvious to them. So Link shot the switch, and they moved into the room with little thought.

The door slammed closed behind them, something they'd gotten used to at that point. But the sound of bars coming down just as hard as the door got them both to turn back, and obviously struck a bit of panic into them.

If it wasn't for this shambling sound, Tya would have gone to try and pull the bars up. But the sound drew her attention back to the middle of the room where they both witnessed a pile of armored bones rise and construct.

It felt like her breath was just ripped from her chest as she watched this. After fully building itself up, the sockets where its eyes would have been lit up as a bright pink, and its jaw fell open to emit a horrid hissing sound.

Link hurried to detach his shield and draw his blade but Tya...

She just stood there.

Completely useless and paralyzed with fear.

This was the kind of thing she had nightmares about.

Where were the spiders, why couldn't there have been more spiders? A larger spider? She would have been find with that. Disgusted, but fine.

This…

This was too much.

It started to approach, two blades raised to block any hits the two may throw, not that Tya was trying. She stumbled back until the barred door stopped her.

Link stepped forward though, shield at the ready and his blue eyes locked on it, watching for any sign that it was about to strike. It gave none, and before it could Link got a nice blow in on its ribs– a spot it had left unshielded. It stumbled back with another hiss, but didn't fall. Its blades crossed, and Link hurried to move back when he realized what it was about to do.

The blades swept outward and just barely missed Link.

The thing seemed to take a second to gather itself, and in that second Link jumped forward, drawing his sword down hard to strike it. Effective hit, but not enough to kill it still.

It held its swords up again to block, and started toward Link again. This time, it didn't give a sign it was going to strike, but it did.

A sweep across Link's shoulder, slicing open his tunic, but luckily the chain-mail underneath prevented anything more than blunt force. It knocked him to the side a little and got a bit of a pained gasp out of him, but he kept himself up and didn't even think to back down.

It was at that point, Tya started to regain control of herself. A shaking hand lifted to slip off the pack, and she let it quietly set to the ground.

She didn't have time for mental preparation, she just pushed. Didn't think much, just stepped forward and let her hands ignite. Unarmored which was bad, but silent in her steps as always. Link held its attention well, but to prevent any chance of hitting Link, she had risk being seen by it…

She needed to be to its side, being behind it while Link was in front of it was too risky. Being in front of it but behind Link was too.

Slashes continued to echo through the structure, and her panic only allowed her to focus on one thing– a focus which she set on her steps and where she was.

The fire charged more with each step, and she struggled to keep herself focused enough to move where she needed to be. With them constantly moving and her being slow, it made it difficult, but the second she found herself where she needed to be, an unruly shot of fire was cast at it. Bones cracked and shattered with the force of her flames, but not completely. Not enough for it to fall. But enough for it to turn its attention to her.

Its eyes locked on her, and the second they did all the bravery she'd worked up disappeared. All control she had of her body drained, and she backed against the wall in a way that shown submission.

It had made a mistake though. It had taken its attention off Link, and before it could even get close to her, he used all his force to shatter what kept it standing. The bones dispersed and fell to the ground, and both of them stood completely still and watched it. They both seemed to just be waiting. Wondering if it was going to get back up. But it didn't…

Hesitantly, Link sheathed his blade, but kept his shield out. He moved to step toward Tya, but instead flinched at a ringing sound. He threw a hand black to the hilt of his sword, but a light in the middle of the room started to take the form of a treasure chest and he calmed. His attention flickered from it to Tya, then back to it.

She hadn't moved from her spot. She actually didn't know if she could. She wanted out but she knew she couldn't get out. Unable to voice this concern through the panic, she just kept her attention on that pile of bones. It had come up once and it might do it again. The air around them seemed calmer though…

She started to let herself breathe again. Having held her breath more than she should have, it was coming out labored. With her attention on the bones, she didn't notice Link coming near her, and when a hand set on her shoulder she flinched, nearly falling as she tried to get away from it. It was him. Just him. Calm down.

A little uneasy whimper was all that left her as she tried to think of an excuse, or even utter an apology for reacting like she did to a simple, friendly touch. She thought it was that thing. Could she say that? Would it make her sound stupid?

"I-It's okay… Really, I think its d-dead. It is-isn't coming back." He said gently, holding both hands up as if to surrender to her.

"S oy– Saa– ." The words hitched in her throat and her mouth moved involuntarily and wrong. The sounds that escaped her cracked slightly until she managed to pause and get enough control. "Sorry…"

Link offered a little smile before stepping away. She thought she heard him say hang on, but she wasn't concentrated enough to confirm. She didn't want him to go near it again, but again couldn't voice it. She wanted out, away from that room. Far from it. But she couldn't escape and that wasn't helping.

The chest that had formed in the middle of the room contained a strange contraption with some brief instructions on how to use it. He tilted his head at the object at first, tried it out, but when he didn't get the hang of it immediately he stopped for a moment and moved to Tya again. As he got closer, she could hear that he was breathing a bit heavier than normal.

"Are you a-alright?" A quiet cough left him after he spoke.

She nodded a bit in response, looking at what he held, then at the gash in his tunic. Push it away, be calm

. "Are you?" She should have asked sooner. How selfish…

A hand reached out to lightly touch the torn fabric, and as she did Link looked at it.

"Y-yeah… it'll probably bruise u-up but its f-fine for now." He seemed a bit more bothered than he was letting on, but she expected it. He was hit hard, if he wasn't aching at least a little, there was a problem.

"I'm sorry I didn't help more." Her hand rested against his shoulder flat for a moment longer before drawing back.

"We killed it, d-didn't we? You helped e-enough, especially for so-someone that was scared." He paused to offer a smile before continuing "Want to help me figure th-this thi-thing out?" He held the new tool up. It was shaped like a beetle, wings and everything, with a cuff that it sat on. "It s-says it'll fly around and I c-can control it."

It took them a moment, but they managed to figure it out. With it, he was able to fly it through a broken piece of the wall and around to hit the switch again. The doors opened and Tya immediately grabbed their things and rushed back into the large, open room. Link followed, resting a hand on her shoulder as if to offer quiet reassurance when he was near enough. She absently set her own over his, giving a light squeeze to it before they both released.

"Where to next?" Exasperated, ready to move on. She wanted to continue and hoped that thing was the only one they'd encounter. All the doors within view, save for the one they'd just walked out of and the room's entrance, were blocked off, so it was obvious there was another switch of sorts somewhere.

After standing around, studying the rooms ceiling (and the amount of skulltulas about it) Link held up his arm where he still had the new tool attached. He released it, leading it in the direction of these holes in the walls– ones that differed from the one that let them escape the structure. These were built there, so Link must have thought something interesting was in them. And he was correct.

They collected a surprising amount of rupees before finding a switch that opened their way into a new room.

The new room opened to a narrow hall- uncomfortable, really. More of those luminescent mushrooms lit the way until they found a ledge.

"More water." It was clear the fire mage was less than pleased to see it.

"But its sha-shallow." Link stepped over the edge and fell the short drop into the water below. It barely reached above his ankles.

"Hopefully it stays that way..." Tya soon followed.

When she landed she scanned the area thoroughly before calming.

The sounds that thing made were embedded in her head, and she listened for the sound of rattling or hissing with every step. It felt stupid to still be so paranoid, but she was. Another of them could pop up anywhere and get them. The air still seemed calm though. There wasn't any strange feelings of absolute dread, not to mention Link was there. She'd realized the further they went into this place the safer his presence felt.

A short walk through a crumbling hall led them to a new door. They pulled it open and stepped inside– Tya much more hesitantly this time than last. She followed in and the door closed. She calmed for a second but it spiked incredibly at the sound of the bars slamming down too. Link quickly drew his blade, turning back to look at the bars, then Tya.

That was it, another of those things was coming, calm down, SHUT UP, prepare or its going to kill you, going to kill Link.

Again her breathing hitched and she shook her head a little as she stepped back against the bars. Nothing was happening, nothing was attacking, where was it? Did it know? Was it enjoying the fear? It must have been, why wasn't it attacking?

Link looked from the room, back to her, and when he felt like there was nothing coming so long as they remained where they were, he went to Tya. He pulled the new tool off his arm so he could replace it with his shield, and after setting it on the ground next to Tya he stood straight and smiled at her as a silent attempt to console.

It didn't work. Not as much as he probably would have liked. It just didn't– she was locked in the room with another of those things and it was teasing her. It was taking its time in showing itself to further her agony.

Shield at the ready, Link started out into the middle of the room. The ledge overhead had created a bit of shade, and when he stepped out of its protection, that was when it attracted the attention of the enemy.

Her breathing stopped then, just completely ripped from her lungs as she knew it was coming, knew it was going to get Link and she was paralyzed there just wanting to run.

But then…

A skulltula fell from above dropping right in front of him.

That was it.

An unbelievable amount relief washed over her and what actually seemed like a breathless laugh escaped her.

Was… was that it?

She was able to regain control quickly. When she did, she fired at the skulltula, knocking it away quite dramatically to the point it fell on its back. From there, Link lunged forward, thrusting his sword down into the weak spot with perfect precision. Just like that, the bars were released, as if they somehow knew the spider was dead.

Tya looked at the door, then shook her head, grabbed the beetle and went to join Link. She was still shaken up, but this feeling of comfort and even warmth took her over. Like from there the worst they'd have to deal with were the spiders.

Another chest behind bars awaited them. Three of those uncomfortable eye switches needed to be triggered. Two would open, but the third above the door didn't seem to want to give them their attention. Link turned to the ledge over the door and looked it over from where they stood.

"I feel like it's too high and far." Tya said after taking a moment to do the same.

"W-worth a try." He motioned toward a section of vines he could climb to get up. He climbed up, but even at the very edge he was unable to get the attention from any of the switches.

He had almost given up when he noticed a large block that almost seemed out of place. The grooves in the floor suggested otherwise though; that it was meant to be there.

He pushed it over the edge, hoping it would hold itself together through the fall, and when it did he jumped down again. He was out of breath, but went to keep pushing the block. When she heard his labored breathing, she moved to help as well after strapping the beetle to a part of the pack. They moved the metal cube to the center of the room, and Link pulled himself on top of it.

It worked, finally, and they opened the cage then the chest. He was rewarded with another key and they started back out to the room they'd come from.

"So you were just too short to open it? " Tya teased, smiling up to Link who passed a playful glare back to her.

"You're one t-to talk. You're sma-smaller than me."

"Not by a lot! Only like two inches." She drew back and huffed dramatically in a way that suggested it was meant as a joke. Link simply laughed in return.

Much to Tya's dismay, there was more water. Up to her waist, and she had to hold the pack and Link's sword and shield over her head until Link got on dry ground. She tossed them over to him, then had to swim as well. This time they were both completely drenched in cold water. He didn't seem to mind besides the shivering, but Tya was incredibly unhappy. She tried to hide it, but the continuous attempts to ignite despite being soaked made her discomfort clear. She couldn't help but worry they'd end up face to face with another enemy, particularly one of those things and she'd be even more useless. Completely unable to protect herself even when she had the control to do so.

In the main room again, they found the door the key went to. Across a gap with those plants dangling from the ceiling... Link was smart though, he used the beetle to cut each down and then they crossed with little problem.

A long hall with the door and bars slamming behind them. The fear in Tya spiked again, but this time so did doubt. It could be another of those terrifying undead, but it could be something simple...

They moved warily around the corner, and found that someone had built up a wall of wooden planks to keep the creature in. Through them though, they could see a large reptilian beast with three heads. She was... surprisingly relieved to see that and not a Stalfos.

"...I can't fight." Tya showed her hands up to Link who paused. He seemed to think a second before grabbing her hands and putting them on his head- the only dry part of him.

"H-hats dry!" He said quietly yet happily.

Tya froze for a second before stifling a laugh. "You could have handed it to me." Her words remained laced with a laugh.

"Oh, y-yeah, I could h-have. This way made y-you laugh though!" He spoke as if that was a bright side before releasing her hands and pulling off his hat. As she used it to dry her hands, he reached over to tug at her sleeves. He squeezed one, wringing it out before starting to roll it up out of the way for her.

"Not co-comfortable, but better th-than getting hurt..." He went to draw his hands back, but paused as he looked at her arms.

It was something she paid little attention to anymore. They used to be prominent, embarrassing, something she'd hide from the view of everyone and panic when they saw. But... Now they were just scars. Dark, thin scars along her wrists, some even crossing over others.

It didn't even register in her head that they had gotten his attention- as stated, she rarely paid attention to them anymore. She moved to wring out and pull up the sleeve Link hadn't gotten to, and then she shook his hat a bit like that would dry it quicker.

"Do you want it back, or want me to put it away?"

"...J-Just water!" He seemed distracted at first, but quickly regained his normal optimistic demeanor as he took it back and put it on. "See if y-you can do the th-thing." After it was adjusted how he liked it, and his hair was relatively fixed, he held his hands out, mimicking the way she normally did it when she used her magic.

It took a second, but she got a weak flame and the longer she kept it lit the brighter it became. Extinguish, ignite, extinguish, ignite- and then it worked again. Well enough to fight anyway.

The pack was set down, and she moved back while Link prepared to deal with the boards that blocked the way. Even with their talking, they luckily hadn't gotten the attention of the beast on the other side. At least not up until Link cut and bashed through the boards.

The beast went to charge them, but Link charged right back. He sliced off one of the heads, and the other two went to attack but his shield blocked them. Thinking he'd gotten one down, he turned his attention to the others but paused as it leaned back and allowed the head he'd cut off to regrow.

Tya and Link both wanted to freeze up and be shocked, but there wasn't time for that.

Tya cast out an unruly and weak flame, hitting the beast's side and causing it to stumble a step or two, but other than that, it had no real affect. Its skin was too thick to burn with such a weak flame. A quiet curse left her as its attention turned on her, and as it started toward her, another ball was charged up. Her attention split, flickering from Link to the beast, and waiting to see when Link was going to strike.

It kept toward her and with it distracted, Link readied a horizontal blow that easily decapitated two of the heads. Before the third could allow them to regrow, the fire Tya had been charging incinerated it, and the beast fell on the ground, defeated.

They hadn't noticed it with their attention on the fight but a door was blocked off and waiting for the creature to fall. When it did, the door opened up for them.

Tya grabbed the pack again, looking down at the creature's corpse as she passed it. She paused and kicked aside one of the severed necks to expose a belt like piece it wore. Embedded in it were three bright red and slightly bloody rupees. She was reluctant, but she talked herself into pulling them out. The more they had, the better- maybe they could all three go out to eat after this, when they got Zelda home.

"What did it have?" Link motioned to her hands as she reluctantly wiped the creature's blood off on her pants.

"Just some rupees. Here." She held them out, scowling at the blood left on her hand.

A little sound of disgust left the male, but it seemed as if it was only a joke as his repulsed expression was mixed with a smile. He took them and tucked them into the wallet on his belt- the one he'd allowed to get just as wet as everything else he wore.

And then they continued through the door they'd just opened up by defeating the beast.

They were met with another of those green creatures but it was quickly dispatched, along with a skulltula that had unfortunately made its home over a gap. Unfortunate for it, that was, not for them, as Link simply cut it down with the beetle and let it fall down to wherever was beneath.

Another of those ideas Tya was completely uncomfortable with, was jumping across said gap, but this time it appeared she had little choice. Link, himself, barely made it across, clinging to the edge and pulling himself up. Needless to say that made her so much more uncomfortable. She didn't know if she'd even be able to hang on or catch herself like she did.

The pack was thrown over to him and set down, and then, though reluctant, the mage jumped across. If it weren't for Link's help, she would have suffered a fate similar to that of the skulltula.

Another red switch triggered, opening the way back into the large room with the structure in the middle, but Link didn't take that way. There was more to the current room to uncover, particularly a large beautiful door across yet another chasm. Judging by the jagged edges, there was, at some point, a bridge, but it wasn't there anymore.

Instead, a thin rope was strung across it, and one of those green monsters waiting on the other side. One that Tya set a blaze so they didn't have to risk being hurt by it as they struggled to keep their balance anyways.

Link crossed first, and Tya waited until he was safely on the other side. She had to take the pack across this time, so she secured everything then started across while continuously repeating the words 'don't look down' in her head. Luckily, they both made it safely.

When she was safely on the ground again, Link turned to the door. It was larger than both of them, though that wasn't a hard feat, given they were both quite small. The designs on it gave Tya this nature-like feel. In the middle was a large golden thing with a strange shape in the middle. A spot that appeared to be missing whatever went there.

They both just silently assumed that must be what opened the door.

Link looked right to left as he stepped back. There was a door on either side, and swayed a bit before looking at Tya.

"Want to t-take one side and I-I'll take the oth-other?"

"Sure. Which would you like?"

"I'll go right. I al-always go right when I c-can't decide so-something. That way I'm al-always right. Get it?" He laughed at himself before starting off through the right archway. Tya stood there for a second, sighing heavily at the joke before slipping off the pack and heading left. On her side, all there was was a small chest, in which was another red rupee, which she was glad to find. And glad didn't have blood on it. After finding it, she returned to the door and sat down next to the pack. He was taking a bit longer, but she assumed she'd be able to hear it if there was anything going on. This place was large and open, any sounds echoed. Still, there was a bit of worry in her...

Resting her muscles felt nice. She hadn't really realized just how much her legs ached until she took her weight off them. She searched the pack and pulled out a flask of water, realizing that neither of them had properly cared for themselves the entire time they'd been in there. How long had it been? It had to have been hours. She kind of wondered if they'd leave and be out in the dark. If so, she was glad they bought the camping equipment- they couldn't return to skyloft after night fell. They'd have Zelda though, and they only had two bed rolls. She'd willingly give her own though, or just sleep with her friend. It wouldn't have been the first time, Zelda spent the night at Tya's plenty of times.

Where was Link? Why was he taking so long?

Just before she went to stand and go see what was on the other side, she saw a rope fling out from the structure to the right, and then Link run and jump, clinging onto it. Nearly gave her a heart attack because she thought he'd miss.

It was almost too much for her to watch as he swung and landed on a tree with a surprisingly flat edge. As if that didn't nearly kill her enough, she watched him as he found two more of those thick, sturdy vines, and swung from them as well, until he landed on the opposite side of the chasm in an open part that couldn't be reached any other way due to it being blocked off.

She calmed when he seemed to be on solid ground again, but he went out of her sight then. She knew he could handle himself, but Goddess he was pushing it...

Suddenly, the male landed again on the opposite side, and started to cross the rope again. Tucked beneath his arm was a strange golden piece. Tya relaxed against the wall, watching him closely to be sure he crossed safely. Not that she'd be able to really help if he fell.

When he returned to her, he plopped down next to her and took the flask from her hands, taking a long sip from it while he held out the odd piece he'd retrieved.

She scoffed like she was offended that he took the water from her, but it was only meant to be playful. She was actually about to offer it to him anyways. She took the piece though, and started to look it over before leaning forward and looking at the door next to them.

"Is this the key?"

When he was finished drinking, he lowered the flask to his lap and looked at the door, then to the piece. He took a deep breath, one which she could actually hear a bit of wheezing behind and then replied with "i-it was in a fancy treasure che-chest so, I'm g-going to guess it is."

"Are you alright?" She set it aside, moving on to her knees to better look at him. His breathing seemed to pick up significantly when he'd move around more, and she knew he was much more in shape than she was. But this time, it seemed much worse.

"Yeah, j-just..." He paused to take in a long inhale. "Got a bit o-of a br-breathing thing."

"A breathing thing?"

"Yeah, I-I'm fine th-though, don't w-worry." Another of those smiles was given to her, and she returned it as she shook her head.

"If you insist. Oh- you're going to end up killing one of us doing that shit." She shifted back into her spot next to him and against the wall before motioning to the vines she'd watched him swing from.

He laughed a little in a way that seemed like he felt accomplished before taking another long drink from the flask. Pulling it away though, his breathing became worse, and Tya bit the inside of her lip. He wasn't panicking, he said he was alright, but she still worried.

"...Are you sure you're alright?" One last question, if he replied positively, she'd drop it.

And he did, he nodded his head, taking in a deep breath and then releasing it... And then coughing for a second before inhaling again.

She still didn't like it, but either way, she nodded and accepted it. He would know better than she would, so she needed to trust what he said. Quit worrying. "When you catch your breath, we can figure out how to open the door."


	11. Chapter 11

It appeared the door was meant for someone much taller, and because of this, Link had to first lift Tya up to get a glimpse of what it looked like. After she did, he let her back down and she figured out exactly how the key should be twisted. Then he had to lift her up again to put it into the door. Quite a pathetic show, really, with the two of them awkwardly fumbling about to try and unlock the thing. And after she set it in there right, he nearly dropped her when he flinched at the sound it made opening.

It broke open and the two of them stepped back and away from it. Once it was fully open, Tya grabbed the pack again but didn't bother to put it on, not yet. She had this feeling that it wasn't going to be that simple...

They already seemed to be trained. Looked to the ceiling before stepping too far, then look all the way around the room. Nothing, not up until they stepped in closer and a flash of light stopped them.

When the light died, they could see before a new door, a figure. Tall and lanky it seemed, dressed in white with a red cloak. They held back a black sword as if preparing to strike, and just as they leaned forward to do so they froze.

The sword in their hands dispersed into a cluster of diamonds and a quiet laugh left them. One that made Tya incredibly uncomfortable...

"Look who it is..." They turned to face the two, revealing quite a strange visage. White hair with what appeared to be purple eye-shadow. Inhumanly colored skin and pale lips. "I thought that tornado I stirred up would have tossed and torn you apart, yet here you are. Not in pieces."

"That tornado was your doing?" Tya's confusion was washed away in an instant by rage, and she tossed the pack back so her hands were free.

"Hush, girl, you have no place here." A gloved hand was raised to dismiss her rage so simply, and they turned back to look at the door again.

If it weren't for the fact that she got a terrible feeling from this stranger, she would have set him on fire right then and there. But something about him suggested that wouldn't be enough... He was somehow threatening despite his appearance. Part of her wanted to fight him, but most of her didn't want to provoke him.

"Not that your lives or deaths have any consequence. It's her that matters now, and I can sense her here... Just beyond this door. Yes, we plucked Her Majesty from her perch in the clouds, and now she's ours. Oh, but listen to me. I'm being positively uncivil. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Demon Lord who presides over this land you look down upon, this world you call the surface. You may call me Ghirahim. In truth, I very much prefer to be indulged with my full title: Lord Ghirahim. But I'm not fussy."

Tya had begun to grind her teeth, looking at Link before returning her gaze to Ghirahim. The way he carried on bothered her, but the simple dismissal of her anger, like it was nothing- like she was nothing- that pissed her off. Though her palms ached, almost demanding to be lit, she kept them closed. Tight, letting her nails dig into the scrapes the ground had left upon them.

Link seemed to have less control, which was surprising to her. He drew his blade, detached the shield, and though uncertain, when he readied for battle so did she.

"Did you really just draw your sword? Foolish boy." Ghirahim scowled at Link, then at the fire in Tya's hands. "By all rights, the girl should have fallen into our hands already. She was nearly ours when that loathsome servant of the goddess snatched her away... Do you have any idea how that made me feel inside?" Ghirahim's voice dropped to somewhat of a growl, his hands tensing as if trying to ease the aggravation. "Furious! Outraged! Sick with anger!" He hissed, his arms flinging out just before he disappeared into another cluster of strange diamonds.

Both of them paused, her fire extinguished as she lost concentration but Link's guard went up even more as he looked around.

"This turn of events has left me with a appetite for bloodshed." As if she wasn't already afraid and uncomfortable enough, his words worsened it. She stepped closer to Link, a hand finding its way beneath his shield to rest on his arm- an absent gesture.

"Still... It hardly seems fair, being of my position, to take all my anger out on you." Before they knew it, Ghirahim was behind them both, practically whispering into Link's ear. Tya drew back, fumbling to ignite her hands as Ghirahim continued. "Which is why I promise up front not to murder you... No, I'll just beat you within an inch of your life!"

Another strange hiss left him, and Tya wanted so badly to fire at him, but he was too close to Link. She risked hitting them both. Link hurried away from Ghirahim the moment he got the chance, and when he escaped him he turned quickly, sword readied and his eyes locked on the demon again.

"T-Tya, stay back," Link ordered quickly, motioning for her to step away.

"But I-"

"You're too v-vulnerable wi-without any armor and he ca-can get close b-before you know it, g-get to the wall and put your back ag-against it!"

Listening to the exchange made Ghirahim laugh, and his arms splayed out once more, allowing his red cloak to disintegrate into the diamonds.

"No need to worry, girl, you'll get your turn." Tya backed against the wall as she'd been told, but her hands remained lit and ready. Her fire charged in case she saw a good chance to shoot. Link may have ordered her to step away and back down, but that didn't mean she was going to listen.

Without warning, Link swung his sword forward, only to have it caught by Ghirahim between two fingers. A brief struggle, but Link broke it free and moved back a step or two with his shield in front so he could regain himself. With them at a bit more distance, Tya took a chance and cast a ball out only to have it miss. With his attention briefly drawn to her, Link took a chance and got in a hit to Ghirahim's ribs.

The Demon Lord growled slightly, flipping his hair to the side before holding a hand out and summoning his own blade. Standing still made for a perfect target, so Tya took the chance and cast another bout of fire toward him. This one hit him straight on- hit him low on his side and absolutely infuriated him.

He snapped and a line of small knives were summoned. A bit of panic set in, and just as he let them fly, Tya hurried to move out of the way. She managed to escape all but one, and it just barely got her, tearing through the cloth of her shirt and splitting the skin of her upper arm.

Link lunged forward, slashing again at Ghirahim only to have his hit blocked by the sword. As the swords clashed, Link bared his down and finally forced the taller man back. As Ghirahim went to regain his steps, Link got in another good hit, right across his chest.

More fire engulfed the mage's hand, but she came to a quick realization before releasing it. She let it die, and while Ghirahim had his attention on Link, she used those quiet steps of hers to slink toward the second door which Ghirahim suggested Zelda waited behind. As she went to open it, she heard more of their blades clashing, and then a bit of a pained release.

Her first concern was that it was Link, but she turned to find Ghirahim falling back a few steps and then once again sweeping his hair to the side. He held the blade up and pointed it out toward Link, who was just about to lunge again when Ghirahim spoke: "Well...You put up more of a fight than I would have thought possible out of such a soft boy. But don't clap for yourself quite yet, that sword of yours is the only reason you still live..." His eyes turned to the door where Tya stood, trying to open. "I fear I spent far too long teasing and toying with you. The girl's presence has all but faded from this place which means there's no reason to linger here. Good-bye, sky child. Run and play this time. Get in my way again, though, and you're dead." With a quick flourish of his sword, he disappeared, leaving both of them to remain tense for a moment longer until they felt he truly was gone.

Link didn't put away his weaponry, he didn't trust it. He stepped back slowly before whipping around and looking at Tya.

"I t-told you to stay out of th-the way" raising his voice just slightly, he used his sword to motion toward the walls.

"And I refused to be useless while that man threatened to beat you half to death!" Tya responded, pulling herself off the door.

"You got h-hurt because you d-didn't listen to me," his sword dropped back to his side, and his shield motioned to her arm where the blood had started to stain her shirt.

"Its barely a cut. Stop scolding me like a child and help me open the damn door—" As she spoke, the door started to make a ringing sound. A sound that was becoming pretty familiar at that point. A light was emitted before it faded and just all disappeared. An aggravated huff left Link before he sheathed his blade and attached the shield to its spot. He turned and went to pick up the pack. Tya assumed it would be handed over to her, but instead Link just slipped one strap over his shoulder and moved passed her and up the stairs.

She followed after a moment of letting that sink in- that simple action that, in her head, somehow meant he wanted her to leave.

They reached what lay behind the door. A beautiful spring where a crest awaited a Skyward Strike. Everything there between Link and Tya was done in silence. The light triggered the crest, and Fi was summoned once again to translate a message set in the language of old gods.

She said "from the edge of time I guide you, the one chosen to carry out the goddess's mission. The spirit maiden who descended from the clouds must travel to two sacred places to purify her body. You stand in one of these places: Skyview Spring. The other is known as the Earth Spring. The second spring is hidden away deep within the scorched earth of Eldin. The spirit maiden, ever mindful of the heavy task entrusted to her, has set out for this second sacred place." And with that information, a glow formed a tablet that was handed over to Link. Fi explained that Zelda had 'purified' herself in the waters of that spring and likely began out to the second. Then that it was not clear exactly how Zelda was moving about, as the temple lay untouched by her, and there seemed to be no exit from the spring other than the entrance.

The tablet was slipped into the pack, and with that they started back to leave the temple so they could return to Skyloft.

As they stepped out into the dimming light of the day, they were met with a high pitched and familiar sound. Awaiting them at the bottom of the stairs was Machi who wanted only to offer thanks to them both for helping him return to his friends. After the brief conversation, the little Kikwi waddled off, and Link looked to the sky for a second before looking at Tya.

"We will ca-camp... Its getting l-late. That way we won't strain the L-Loftwings at all." He let the pack slide off his shoulder and onto the ground before starting to set up the camp.


	12. Chapter 12

Camp was made and a fire was set. They sat next to the fire, allowing their damp clothing to dry, and the cut on Tya's arm was tended to with a small bit of a healing potion. Link had slipped off the tunic and the chain-mail, down to a long sleeved, off white shirt beneath, so he could look at the damage done to his own shoulder. It had already begun to bruise up pretty badly, and while Tya wanted to say something- to ask about it, she didn't. He hadn't said anything to her since their small camp was set up, and he wasn't exactly acting angry, but she'd filled her own mind with so many thoughts and suggestions she felt it better to keep her mouth shut.

It wasn't until he started to dig through the pack again that he finally spoke up.

He pulled out a bit of food that they'd packed, and he handed some out to her.

"If we ar-are going after Zel-Zelda to the next spring thing, we w-will need more supplies from Sk-Skyloft." He unfolded the plastic that wrapped around the food to preserve it. Tya just sat with her own in her lap for a second, thinking over what he said.

Did that mean he wanted her to come? Or was he saying that only because she'd made it clear she wanted to help bring Zelda home? Earlier was just confirmation that she was unwelcome everywhere but forcing herself into someone else's destiny. Go home.

Her nails lightly picked at the plastic wrap and she bit the inside of her lip before quietly uttering an apology. What exactly for, she wasn't sure. Too many things. Being useless when she got wet or scared, letting him get hit because she couldn't bring herself to fight that stupid thing, being too unwilling and weak to follow him across by the vines and therefore making him clear a path specifically for her, holding him back, being in his way, talking too much, listening too little, worrying too much- so many things.

There was a silence between them after she muttered her apology, but it was soon broken by Link simply saying "me too".

She shook her head almost immediately and replied with "why? You didn't do anything." She did. She was in the wrong, she should have shut her mouth and did as she was told. She should have acted differently, that was always the case.

"I sh-shouldn't have yelled at you."

But she deserved it. Don't say that, its manipulative.

"I... think it'll be better if I just stay in Skyloft when we go back." She wasn't supposed to be there. She was forcing herself in places she didn't belong, spending time with a person that no longer wanted her there.

Link went quiet then, watching his hands for a long while. No matter what his silence was for, Tya convinced herself it was verification. His silence meant he thought it was better if she stayed behind as well. If she stayed out of his way.

After so long in silence, Tya cleared her throat and put the food she'd been handed away. Even if she hadn't lost her appetite, her stomach was tossing and turning too much. She wouldn't have been able to keep it down...

Then she moved into the tent and into her bedroll where she just... Lied there. She was too anxious to fall asleep, even though she wanted nothing more.

It felt like hours passed until Link came in and sat next to her on his own bedroll. It was a small tent, so there wasn't much space between the two, and sitting down meant he was slouched over just a bit.

It felt like it was even longer before he actually said something. When he spoke up, his words just completely and utterly baffled Tya.

"Do you di-dislike me now?" He asked quietly, looking in her direction, but not at her. He seemed almost embarrassed that he had to ask, and the question itself seemed strained, like he was trying to keep from asking. Like he felt it was a stupid question he didn't want the answer to because he already knew it.

Tya knew that tone and that feeling all too well.

She watched him for a second, actually kind of stunned that he'd ask such a thing. Had she made it seem that way? She pulled herself up, propping herself on an elbow and shaking her head.

"Why would I dislike you?"

"I-I don't know... You're mad and... I don't kn-know, it was a dumb q-question."

"It... I'm not mad at you. I mean, I was to begin with, but I'm not now."

He looked at her only for a brief second before adjusting to lie down. He faced her, bending his arm back to use it as a pillow, and then using his free hand to lightly toy with the edges of the bedroll. "Do y-you hate being down h-here?"

"No, why? Do you?"

"N-No..." He paused, holding his breath for a second before releasing it. He seemed to be thinking about something. Like it was right there, he wanted to say it, but for some reason couldn't.

"...What's wrong?" A quiet inquiry that got his attention, and he locked eyes with her for a second before sighing heavily.

He opened his mouth like he was going to speak, but closed it again after a second. He shifted a bit, propping himself up in a way similar to how Tya was.

"I... D-don't want to do all this a-alone." He finally said, watching the edges he'd just been plucking at like they were going to do something interesting.

Tya didn't really know how to respond at first. Her mind had rather easily convinced her she was unwanted, and yet Link said otherwise. Who was she to believe? His comment was unsolicited- she had to think about it and make sure she hadn't, in someway, manipulated him into believing he need to cater to her thoughts. She hadn't made it seem like she needed or wanted him to say that for her own comfort.

She bit the inside of her lip, letting what he said repeat again in her head as if she was testing it. Making sure it was really sincere and not somehow something she'd coerced him to say. And when she forced herself to believe that it was genuinely a want for her, or someone there, she nodded.

"I don't want to wait in Skyloft."

"A-are you saying that so I don't feel b-bad?" Like he'd been reading her thoughts. Like they were thinking the exact same things. It was odd being on this end of the conversation. Reassuring, not being reassured.

"No, I'm not. I assumed you'd prefer I left, but I don't want to." Talk about it- it helps. "I feel like I'm in your way. I am not trained for these things as you are, and I'm slowing you down."

"Even if th-that's true, you're helping in other w-ways... I'd be more s-scared if I was down here all a-alone. I don't w-want you to leave."

Another small silence between them, though this one didn't make her stomach ache like the last few. She just watched him, calming, and once again becoming glad to be in his presence.

"I'm happy to stay then" she started again, lying flat on her back but letting her head fall to the side so she could still look at him. "I'll listen better from now on, as well."

"Yo-you don't have too, I shouldn't ha-have yelled at you. You're n-not weak, I guess I was tr-treating you like you were."

"Weak or not, I am not as well equipped as you. You were right to try and keep me away, I could have been injured much worse than I was..."

He smiled a bit and nodded, seemingly glad that she understood his reasoning behind his harshness. After a second more of silence, he looked back over to her and tilted his head a bit.

"Tya, you sa-said you weren't as tr-trained for this as me. Do you st-still fight a lot?"

She furrowed her brow and shook her. "No, not often. There wasn't much to fight in Skyloft. Why do you ask?"

He paused once more, looking from her arms to her face. He lightly grabbed her hand and pulled it so it was facing upward. At first she was confused, thinking only of the scabbed up scratches from her bad landings. Though after looking at it, she remembered they'd healed up when she took a swig of a healing potion.

Just as she realized what it was he was looking at, he said "You-you've got a lot of scars."

"They are from... a different kind of battle." That was the only way she could think to explain it. She didn't want to say it outright...

Whether Link understood or not, she didn't truly know. He looked as if the meaning of her words sunk in, but she still wasn't sure. Whatever he believed, for the moment, would be fine though. She didn't want to talk about it.

"You won it." He said quietly, releasing her hand so she could bring her arm back to her. She looked at the scars for a moment before resting her arm over her stomach.

That was a tough concept to grasp. Had she won it? Some days it felt like she hadn't. Honestly, she didn't think it was a battle that could be won- it was something that would continue happening throughout her life and she knew it. But she was still there, still alive and still trying. So perhaps she had won? Won every battle in this war to that point.

Before she could get too lost within the thoughts, Link got her attention again.

"...Would it bo-bother you i-if I hugged you?"

What a strange question- most people just did it. He'd had no problem with small touches before, but even so the fact that he was seeming to ask permission for something more was nice. She held an arm out, making no effort to sit up, and when that became clear Link chuckled.

He scooted a bit closer until he was underneath the arm she'd extended outward. Still propped on one elbow, he moved onto his stomach and he used his free hand to wrap around her. He drew her a bit closer only so he could rest his head against her shoulder.

When he came close enough, Tya let her arm drop around his neck, and when he drew her forward, she slipped her free hand beneath him then around his waist so both hands were allowed to rest on his back.

One would think the fact that they were both covered in dirt, sweat, blood, and Goddess knew what else would make such closeness unpleasant, but it didn't seem to bother either of them.

In fact even after they parted, Link remained close- with permission of course. He only rested against her shoulder until he fell asleep.

The next morning, their small camp was packed up the moment daylight rose, and then they returned to Skyloft, once again parting ways. Bathed, changed, hair fixed, fed, and then out. When she went out she noticed yet another column of light had risen through the clouds- this one red. She met with Link again because he carried all the rupees they found, and the two went to the bazaar in search of something more protective for Tya. Armor wasn't really something regular citizens in Skyloft needed, and as Tya was not a student of the Knight Academy, she wasn't able to borrow any from there. Luckily, though, they found someone who was willing to craft some for her.

Her measurements were taken along with her preferences- something light and practical that wouldn't cover her palms or be ruined by heat. The only problem was that it would take more than a day...

They decided it would be best to wait in Skyloft. Neither was happy about it, the more time they wasted, the farther Zelda got from their grasp.

But after looking at the distance between the columns, they felt that they had time. Zelda was traveling on the surface- the dangerous surface, which would have made them both uncomfortable if it weren't for the fact that Ghirahim said she was with this 'guardian of the goddess'. No matter how she would have been traveling, they both figured it would have taken time to get from one place to the other, and then to the spring... It took her three days to get through the first one, so they only assumed the same would go for the second.

Their stay in Skyloft was welcomed by Tya for one reason though- her entire body screamed every time she took a step and she wanted a bit of a break. It was a wonder she hadn't pulled something.

And as they stepped out of the bazaar, Link paused for a second before looking around.

"Wh-when I went to o-open up the way for u-us, there was a lady u-up there looking for her kid." He told her quietly, looking up toward the goddess statue. On the edge, a woman could be seen, anxiously looking over what she could see of the land from a higher point.

"Did the child run off?" Tya arched a brow at the woman before looking to Link again.

"Sh-She said people said they sa-saw her with a person with a sc-scary face. She thinks she w-was taken by a monster. I said I-I'd help if I got the chance. Do you want t-to come with, si-since we are staying for a w-while?"

Tya would be the first to admit she was never really fond of children, but regardless, leaving one to fend for herself? That was wrong."Sure. Have you any ideas on where to start?"

The question made Link pause before he gave a sheepish smile, raised both hands and said "to the right!"

Tya chuckled and followed after him.

They first spoke to a nice young girl that had to be around their age. Tya had seen her around a couple of times, but never spoken to her purposely. If she recalled correctly, her name was Ariel. Or... Orielle? She didn't quite remember. She told them that there was an old man that would go on and on about hidden monsters in Skyloft, and then informed them that the man could be found in the Lumpy Pumpkin.

While they were out flying, they took a second to find where that strange cube had gone. They kind of badly estimated the roundabouts of it, and surprisingly found a chest that contained a gold rupee. Neither of them were complaining- it seemed they were going to need all the rupees they could get to afford supplies for this journey.

In the Lumpy pumpkin, they spoke to a man who so kindly called Link gullible before going on to do exactly what Orielle said he would: ramble about monsters. Quite a strange man... One which the pair quietly joked about after leaving. He informed them that he was walking around near the tree in the cemetery one night, when he saw it hit, then push a gravestone that opened a storage shed door.

According to the information, it could only be done in the middle of the night, so they decided the most they could do is sit around and relax. A bit of pumpkin stew, a few flights on the Loftwings, just relaxing in general. They could have separated, but neither of them seemed to mind the other's company. When night fell, they were back on land. That girl- Orielle, had come to sit with them in the plaza, having nothing better to do. They spent a good while just talking until she expressed that she had no desire to be stuck out after nightfall. Link escorted her home, and Tya went to the cemetery to wait.

It had been too long since she'd been there... She hadn't purposefully neglected to visit, she had just made herself so busy to keep herself distracted that she only had time to bring flowers every once in a while. She didn't have a steady job, but she survived by helping the people in the bazaar. Bringing things in, taking things out, setting things up- jobs that required little interaction with other people yet kept her busy enough that she didn't have to think. Jobs that made her feel useful.

When Link arrived, Tya had sat herself in front of her parent's graves, and was really just talking to them both. About Zelda, about Link, about the things she'd done as of late. To her mother about how well she'd been containing the fire, how helpful it was, and how thankful she was to have had what training in it she did have, even if it was only a little.

Link didn't sit by her at first, no, first he went to two separate graves, kissed his fingertips then pressed them to each. She could hear him quietly say something along the lines of 'love you guys' before coming and taking a seat next to her.

For what little time they had to wait, they talked more. About memories, mainly. Times they could remember with their parents. Link seemed to have been alone for quite some time, and he talked about how during that time he met Zelda. Because of how she treated him, and the part she played in his life, she quickly became part of his family.

When the time came, they got up and triggered the grave like they were supposed to, opened the shed, and descended a ladder onto a walkway that didn't seem very safe. Badly strung together, narrow, wooden planks, led to a building that seemed out of place, needless to say.

It was sinister, and as they neared it the fact that they heard a high pitched scream didn't help at all.

Up until they walked in, they really hadn't expected to see an actual monster, but there wasn't a better way to describe the man they found. It wasn't at all what they expected, especially after the thing seemed like it was going to attack both of them. Apparently they'd just interrupted quite a strange game the child they were looking for liked to play. He had no problem releasing the child because he wasn't holding her, though he did ask that Link and Tya help him. He was lonely, and requested that Link help him in becoming human. Being the sweetheart he is, Link said he'd help when he had the time. They both escorted the child home then, reuniting her with a thrilled mother.

The pair then separated again returning to their homes so they could go sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning, the two went to the bazaar to find her armor still wasn't done. Neither of them felt right wasting any more time waiting for it, so they decided they'd leave and hope she didn't get killed.

This landing, Tya didn't fail. At least not as badly as the past two. She took what she learned from watching Link and very nearly got it perfect. There was still a bit of stumbling, and some pain in her legs, but she was getting better.

The first thing she'd noticed was a gust of heat that just poured over her entire body the moment they descended into the area, and when she landed she figured she'd do what she did the last time. A quick look around, then look to Link to see if he had any ideas on what to do next.

But no, the moment she looked up and spotted the lava she just froze. This place was... Fire. It was hot. It was nice.

"Master, this is Eldin Volcano. It is an active volcano, rich with the power of the earth." Tya had completely missed Fi forming, and almost completely missed her speaking with how pleased she was with the new area. She stepped forward to see if she could get a better view of everything. "Approximately 65% of the region is covered by lava. It is inhabited by a large number of creatures that thrive in the extreme heat and direct flame. Lease exercise caution with flammable materials such as wood and fabric."

"If any fire happens to get you, I'll put you out." Tya looked back at Link and Fi briefly, flashing an enthusiastic smile as she adjusted the straps to the pack then started off. This place was so comfortable. The heat just empowered her. Her entire body felt so light and fluid. It was amazing.

"You s-seem happy here." Link stated as if that should have been obvious.

"It's hot." Something someone normally would have said with a whine, but not Tya. Her tone made it obvious she loved it. "Its invigorating."

Another of those strange cubes was sent flying to the sky after Link noticed it just off a short ledge. They continued down more when Fi formed by Link's side.

"Master, I require your confirmation. You are currently attempting to ascertain the location of Zelda. Are you familiar with how to use the dowsing to search for Zelda?"

"Oh! Y-Yeah, forgot all about that us-useful little trick." He laughed a bit, drawing the blade and smiling at Fi.

"Of course you are. My apologies. Please continue your search for Zelda."

As she returned to the blade, Link quietly said "it's alright," then held the blade up and twisted until it pointed him in what seemed to be the right direction.

They started again, only to be interrupted once more by the dirt just before them starting to rustle. The ground broke open and out of it formed two strange looking creatures.

They were adorable actually, looking a bit like moles... The human aspect they had kind of made them creepy, though.

"Hey! Hey! HEY! Y-you mess with our turf you're gonna... pay?" One of them crossed their arms as if it was trying to seem threatening and stern, but the uncertainty in their tone made it evident it was only a show.

Link arched a brow as he slipped his blade into its sheath and stepped forward.

"Whoa! You're not... Yo, Ledd, I don't think they are any of those red creeps" The second reached over and lightly slapped the shoulder of their companion as they looked over Link, and then Tya.

"Y-Y-Yeah, I think you're right... No reason to scare the hair off us, though! Sorry 'bout that, pal. These monsters showing up and messing with our turf has got me on edge. They show up here, and I'm gonna knock the red clean out of 'em! That's what I'm doing here. Yeah, me, Ledd." This time their tone was exaggerated, and their companion shook their head before saying "Yeah, whatever, Mr. Too Scared to Dig in the Dark". The second was shot a glare before both of their attention turned to Link and Tya again.

"Anyway, if you're looking for treasure, you should stay clear of those red guys."

"W-We aren't looking for tr-treasure," a soft chuckle left Link and he shook his head. "We a-are looking for a fr-friend of ours."

"You nervous or somethin'? We aren't gonna hurt you." One cocked his head to the side, brows furrowing as he looked Link over. Link seemed confused for a second or two before realizing why they'd think he was nervous. Honestly, Tya had grown used to the stutter- at first she thought it kind of odd and hard to understand.

"Oh, I-I'm not nervous I j-just, have a speech th-thing."

"A speech thing?" Their simultaneous response of the two got a laugh out of Tya as the conversation seemed much too familiar.

"Well anyway, you said you were lookin' for your friend? That must have been your pal that passed by earlier, sprinting by without so much as a glance in this direction. Was sorta a blur of movement, so I didn't get a real good look, but I know it wasn't one of those red creeps. Your pal must have gone straight up here, so why don't you follow?" Ledd motioned back, so Link and Tya moved passed the two with some quiet thanks.

"So what other kinds of 'things' do you have?" Tya asked with a smirk as they started down the path again.

"What do you m-mean?"

"A speech thing, a breathing thing. Anything else?" Link paused again after she asked, then laughed a little and shook his head.

"I think th-that's all the things."

"...Has it ever bothered you?" As she walked just a step behind him, she held her hands out, letting her fire engulf them. It seemed their surroundings fueled it as well. Without much concentration set into containing it, it burned bright and reached high.

"The st-stutter?" He questioned absently as he watched her fire. It seemed he noticed the difference too. "It d-did for a while. I u-used to not talk much because of it, b-but I figured out th-that it isn't something to act ash-ashamed of."

"I'm glad you did. I like having conversations with you, and if you refuse to talk I think that would be difficult."

"Ju-just a little bit." He smiled, nodding his head in agreement.

A bit farther down the path they noticed some flames that seemed to hover in the sky. It wasn't until they got closer that they realized they were actually flaming keese. They were shot down by the sheer force of Tya's fire. It seemed to work so easily there, like just the air around it made her fire more powerful. Not that she was complaining.

They continued on, being met with another of those mole like creatures. One that seemed to imply they found Link unattractive. They may have said he wasn't as ugly as the red creatures, but something about the way they said 'not that ugly' seemed like they were saying 'not as ugly as them but still not that great looking'.

They then went on to tell the two about these strange flowers- bomb flowers, that... well were exactly what the name suggested. They were picked, and then in a matter of seconds they would explode.

They shouldn't have done it, but they couldn't help themselves. They just had to make something explode. Link grabbed one of the bomb flowers and rolled it toward a part of the wall where some rocks seemed to have fallen and blocked up a spot. The rocks blew up, leaving open a new path. Convenient.

They started down this new path only to be ambushed by a small group of those flaming keese. Link cut down one, and Tya shot down another. Just before Link managed to kill the last, it flew too close and caught a bit of his tunic up.

It was cut down, and a kindled hand was set over the flame. One would automatically assume that Tya's flaming hands would only make it worse, but with the fire under her control, she didn't let it spread. The fire on Link mixed with that on her hands, and she took it all before letting it die.

Part of his tunic was scorched, but she hadn't let it burn him.

He had raised an arm and twisted to watch her since the fire was set closer to his back than his side or front. "You can con-control other fire?"

"If mine mixes with it." She explained, drawing her hands back to look at how badly his tunic was burned, then to the gash in the shoulder. "When we return to Skyloft, I could sew that up for you."

He nodded a bit in response to her second statement, but immediately returned to the first. "S-So if you mixed your f-fire up with like those keese, you'd b-be a-able to control them?"

"I don't know, I haven't tried. Nor do I have much practice with anything more than shooting at things."

With that, they continued on with little problem. They ended up being stopped again by another of the moles, which told them about this 'funny-dressed character'. They said the person was dressed all in black, but didn't remember much else.

Tya and Link figured that wasn't Zelda- she was last seen in pink. She could have found something else, but they figured it could just as easily have been another person. Either way, it was worth investigating, in their minds.

They just had to figure out how to get over to the spot they'd supposedly gone...

They continued down the path until they came across yet another strange creature. This one was just absolutely adorable. They definitely rivaled Remlits, at least in Tya's opinion. The moment it spotted them, it hurried off to hide in a hole carved in the side of a steep hill.

They thought nothing of it up until they went to walk in front of the hole and fire started to shoot out of it. Luckily Tya was in front, and she was the one to catch fire that time. Her thin clothing burned through easily, leaving a hole with singed edges on one of her legs.

"That di-didn't hurt?" Link asked after she pulled back and put it out.

"No."

"You put it o-out quick like it d-did."

"I may not be effected by fire, but my clothes are. I think you and I both would appreciate it if I remained clothed." She lightly touched the edges of her burnt clothing before smiling back at him.

He cleared his throat, blushing a bit before nodding. "O-Oh, y-yeah I didn't th-think about that. S-Sorry."

"If that thing is going to start a wall of fire every time we try to pass, its going to be a problem."

"We c-can use one of th-those bomb things to bl-blow it up."

The thought of having to kill it made her feel awful. They had entered its territory, and it was only scared, trying to protect its home and itself. It wasn't fair to kill it for that, not in her mind.

Biting the inside of her lip she thought it over, stepping to its den again. When the fire started to blow out, she held a hand out and tried to mimic it. Tried to see if she could let fire pour out in the same manner. Hers didn't blow out, it only balled up, but she was able to manipulate it enough to curve around things. She was able to shape it somewhat, but not well enough to mix with the creature's and hold it back.

A sigh left her as she stepped back and nodded.

"I don't think we have any choice then. Do you think you'll be able to roll one in there at a distance?"

He nodded in reply, gesturing for her to move back while he retrieved a nearby bomb flower.

He rolled it from a safe distance; a distance which the creature wasn't blowing fire. After a second a little explosion in the hole caused a terrible screeching sound, and then a small crumbling of rocks inside.

The sound made Tya's heart drop, and she shook her head. "I hope we don't have to do that again..." Her voice cracked a bit as she spoke.

Link tilted his head just slightly at her, appearing to not understand why she was so upset toward it. But he didn't ask any questions, he didn't have the time too. The sound of the small explosion apparently grabbed the attention of those 'red creeps' as others had so accurately referred to them.

One charged forward first, attempting to hit Link only to have it dodged and have its stomach slashed open. Another had rushed Tya, but she lit it up before it got too close. Whether or not it was persisting or simply trying to put out the flame, Tya didn't know, but it continued to run at her with a harshly made club raised. It was easy enough to dodge, given its state. All she had to do was hurry to the side and it ran passed then dropped dead.

By the time hers fell, Link had defeated the remaining one.

Neither said anything, only nodded at each other and started off again. They came to the lowest part of the area- the area where much of the lava nearly overflowed onto flat land, and where on top of said lava, floating, was a strange bridge. Whatever creature once held the bones that made up the makeshift bridge, Tya didn't know. She was just glad she wasn't there to meet it.

Link stepped to the edge before coming to a halt. He looked at the lava beneath the bone just as a hot gust of air came up. He stepped back, coughing and attempting a deep breath before looking at the bridge again. It seemed to be the only way across, but it didn't seem very stable...

Tya looked at him, then to the bridge again. She truly had no idea if lava would affect her. She knew her skin wouldn't burn, but that was against fire. Whether or not it was all heat or just the heat of a flame, she didn't know. Nor did she want to find out, in all honestly. But still, her odds were much better than Link's.

She slipped the pack off, taking a step toward the bridge only to be stopped by a hand pulling her arm.

"I-It isn't safe. Will th-that stuff hurt you?" He motioned generally toward the lava once releasing her.

"I don't know. But my chances are better than yours. I'll test it and see if we can figure a way for you to cross." He seemed reluctant still, but after casting another quick look around, then up to where they'd been told to go, he figured they had little choice.

After getting no response, Tya started again, watching him to see if he'd allow it. When he made no movements to stop her, she turned her attention to the bone. She first nudged it with her foot, and watched as it barely budged. A good sign, meaning it could hold a bit of weight. The fact that it did budge though, made her question for how long.

She stepped out onto it, and it held for a second before beginning to wobble. She could tell the bottom was unbalanced- one side of the bone was thicker than the other because the side that wasn't thick began to dip down into the lava.

She went to take another step forward, but Link reached over and pulled her back before she could. He tugged her back on to land quite roughly, and watched the bone as it shifted back to how it had been at first.

"You w-weren't go-going to make it across that part. It was going to fl-flip." He told her quietly; apologetically.

She looked to the bridge, then back to Link and nodded. "Thank you, then. I'll move quicker."

Once again, he was reluctant, but he released her and stepped back as a silent way to show he wouldn't stop her.

This time, Tya did just as she said she would. She hurried, and just barely made it across without being harmed. On the other side, she stood for a second and looked around before looking back at Link.

"Just... Wait there for a moment, I'm going to see if this is actually worth our time. I don't want you to risk being burned up for something that isn't even worth it."

His body language then made no secret of just how much he disliked the idea, but yet he didn't argue. She did what he'd done to her a dozen times at that point: gave him a smile in hopes of offering consolation. Whether or not it worked, she didn't stick around to see.

She pulled herself up on a ledge just behind her (after a few failed attempts because her muscles were still screaming). Finally when she got up, she looked to the place they needed to be, and then to what she could only describe as a moat of lava around it.

She walked the safe land that lined the moat, searching for a place to get up but found nothing. So she walked it again. By that point, Link had taken a seat on the other side, just watching her curiously with a canteen in his hands.

A second walk across almost gave the same result, until she spotted a weak fall of lava through cracked rocks. The spot was feeble, like it would give with a little more force. A ball of fire was first thrown at it, but it did little to weaken it. Her techniques weren't strong enough, to break it with them would require more time than she wanted to waste.

She turned back to see if Link had any ideas and that was when she noticed more of those bomb flowers. She looked over the route that would be needed in order for the bomb to give enough force to break the plugged up area, then to Link.

"Link, do you think you could try and blow this up with one of those?" She motioned to the bomb flower, then to the plug.

He looked over the route once or twice before replying with "like run i-it, or th-throw it?"

"Throw it."

With that, Link got up, dusting his hands and readying himself before picking up one of the flowers. Tya stepped away from the edge he'd been directed to destroy, and watched as he hurried closer and launched he bomb over. He aimed well, but the throw was too much force and the bomb bounced off, exploding as soon as it hit the lava.

"...Perhaps rolling it? Less force behind a roll." And so Link complied, rolling it across the bridge. The roll lacked precision, though Tya felt it would have been perfect if it was in the right spot. Two more tries provided the same result, but the third finally got it just right.

The Lava from the moat poured into the larger body that separated her and Link, opening the path to the spot they needed to be in. A quick walk of the ledge shown her they now had the access they needed, and so she jumped down and moved to the edge of the bridge.

"It's open, this is the right way. You'll have to cross quick."

He pulled the pack on, then started across. A bit of stumbling at the end, but Tya helped pull him up before any damage could be done. At least so she thought. It was a short distance, but it was enough...

The moment he came across, he doubled over, a hand against his chest like that would help him breathe. A hard cough, and then wheezing made it completely obvious he was having much more trouble than he had in the woods.

Tya hurried to pull the pack off him, setting it down quick so she could help him sit. Once he sat, he started to adjust and Tya tried to help but soon stopped, feeling she was doing little to actually lessen his activity. Finally she just settled a hand over the one he still had against his chest.

The coughing continued, and in between, more wheezing. At first all she did was sit and watch him because she was honestly at a loss. She had no idea how to deal with this, and it took her a second to kick herself into motion.

Her hands drew back and she held them both up and open, then froze like she was resetting herself. Resetting all thoughts- doing her best to wash them away though that never really worked. Focus if she let it show that she was panicking so might he- panicking makes the breathing worse. What helps, what helps-

Mint? Didn't have any.

Tea? Didn't have any and takes too long-

She grabbed one of the flasks they'd packed and opened it, then set her hands on either side of it. Her hands ignited, and the fire curved around the flask but didn't touch it. The water would heat and steam, but the flask wouldn't be ruined.

A stupid decision at first, but she quickly realized her mistake and twisted so the fire wouldn't be near him- so her heat wouldn't make it any more difficult for him to breathe.

He'd closed his mouth at that point, though Tya would have thought that a bad idea. She thought he'd be able to take in more air that way, but she also figured he'd be panicking at that point- she certainly was. If he wasn't panicking, that meant he knew what he was doing. At least that's what she figured. And hoped.

The water heated quickly, to her relief, and after it did she held it closer to him as the steam started to rise out of it. She knew boiling water probably wasn't best for it, but she'd rather have one ruined flask and an alright Link.

She'd been watching his breathing the entire time, watching the rhythm in which he was trying to do it, but with her concentration on not setting the canteen on fire she wasn't able mimic it. With her fire put out, though, she was able to do it as well for no real reason other than to keep him on track if he needed it. Like showing what he needed to continue to do.

It seemed like hours before his breathing started to calm again, though she was positive it wasn't. When he was able to, he lightly pushed away the canteen in her hands. Not in a rude way of course just one that told her silently the steam wasn't needed. She closed it again and set it aside, but not in the pack so she'd be able to grab it quickly just in case.

"Are you alright?" She asked, barely above a whisper though that wasn't intentional. He only nodded in response, showing a brief smile before focusing on his breathing again. The smile was returned and Tya moved to sweep some of his hair aside and out of his face. With the heat it was... sticky. Sweat wasn't pleasant, nor flattering, but she was willing to deal with it. Having hair sucked in while struggling to breathe wasn't something that helped regulate. She knew well, given that her hair hung to her hips. It spent plenty of time in her way.

She rested her hands on either side of his face then sighed and quietly said "Goddess, you're terrifying..."


	14. Chapter 14

It was a short time before Link felt he was able to continue on, and even then Tya made him take it slow just in case. She assumed the heat was what was bothering him so much.

The place they needed to be was inside this hollowed out piece of land– like a hill where they climbed up onto a ledge and then jumped. The descent was long, and if they didn't have sailcloths it likely would have been fatal. But they landed safely, and continued for a brief walk.

They startled another of those mole creatures while it was grumbling about the red creeps making themselves at home. He exasperatedly directed the pair up a way, saying it led up the mountain– a good thing because Tya hadn't actually thought about how they'd be getting out of this deep hole they'd come into. A brief second of panic arose but she calmed herself quick by reminding herself that was a path out. She was not stuck.

The brief talk with the creature made it clear just how disturbed by the presence of the red creeps they all were. Noticing this, Link turned to Tya and nudged her a little.

"Will you help?" Was all he asked. Whether he meant alone or with him, she didn't know...

Either way, Tya would do it. The less of those, the better, and if she had to handle it alone so be it.

Another drop separated them from a room of those red creeps. Steep but short, and as they approached Link moved to jump over it, but Tya stopped him.

"It will be better if you stay up here." She said quietly as to not alert the attention of any of the enemies. She looked around, counting how many were in the room before tugging Link back a step. "You stay at the edge, ready. I shoot, kill who I can, and whoever gets too close you can kill."

It was cooler down underground, but after the incident the mage couldn't help but treat him like he was fragile. Whether or not either of them noticed it had yet to be seen.

Link simply nodded in response to the plan though, stepping back and detaching his shield to ready it. Tya stood a step or two behind him, able to see past, but able to be protected should another foe find their way on the ledge. Close ranged was Link's job. Thinking on it, she really should have invested in a weapon during her trips back to Skyloft. Trained or not, having something to fling around would make her more likely to survive should something get too close than she would with nothing...

She shook her head, returning herself to the current situation and lighting up both hands. Split concentration caused weaker flames for both, but two balls of fire to shoot at enemies was better than one when they outnumbered her and Link by as much as they did.

A little more mental preparation, and then the fire mage started firing off into the crowd, setting those she could on fire. It was all well up until the crowd really began to thin and the sound of a horn echoed through the tunnels. Out of nowhere, it seemed, another wave of them just flooded in.

She didn't really know the limits she had on her casting, but the more she did it the more she realized she actually had one. Another wave was called in before Tya was forced to move forward and find out who it was calling them forth. The culprit wasn't difficult to place- they'd taken a prominent spot on a wooden perch, and therefore made themselves easy for Tya to kill.

Even with the area making her feel empowered, by the time the crowd was finally dead, Tya felt weak... Much more so than she had before.

All the activities on this adventure, the running, the jumping, the clinging, the hanging- it all made her body ache as she adjusted to this sudden burst of liveliness, but the way this made her feel was much much different. Sick almost. Like she was losing blood. Dizzy, lightheaded, weak, racing heart... Too much.

Her blood soaked companion soon returned to her side, and after looking her over his brow furrowed and he tilted his head.

"Are you al-alright?"

"Yes," she replied almost as if it was instinctive, but didn't let that remain as her answer. "That... Took a lot out of me, I think. I haven't ever used that much that quickly."

"I'm gonna s-see if any of these guys ha-have anything useful on them. You should s-sit." Link turned then, looking over the ledge to be sure it was clear to enter the area.

Tya disliked the idea, thinking it may have been a waste of time for her to take a break, but she realized if this situation would have been reversed, she would have insisted Link do the same. Both of their well-beings were important, even if her mind insisted otherwise…

She did as told, sinking down and leaning back against the jagged walls of the tunnel while she waited for Link to return. She took that small break as a chance to get water and a little bit to eat. He came back with a few rupees and small useless ornaments he thought were neat. They were stuffed into the pack and then started back to tell the friendly creature the threat was gone.

The brief talk with the mole was actually quite useful. Tya learned they were called Mogmas, and that they apparently honored debts. So as a reward, Link was given a pair of strange gloves that would help him dig, and they were directed to the way that would take them up. The new gloves came in handy, because dirt had blocked off a little spout of air that would help them ascend the mountain. Link unstopped it, and they were allowed o continue.

They were then faced with a part that Tya absolutely dreaded. A ton of those adorable seal-like creatures from before had dug their dens in some pillars, and thus made it incredibly difficult for them to get by without dealing with them. Link elected to once again just blow them up, and after another failed attempt to bend the fire, Tya had no choice but to go through with it.

Seeing that it bothered her let Link suggest she stay back while he handled it, but the offer was refused. She may not have liked it, but she had to get over it at some point. She was sure there were things Link didn't want to do, and yet he did them because it needed to be done. She had no right to stand back and act spoiled simply because she disagreed with something that had to be done...

They eventually managed to get to the top though, and were immediately stopped by a startled mogma that said they'd just seen another charging through, dressed in all black. They said the person managed to jump over quite a large gap like it was nothing. After further examination, Tya and Link realized that attempting to do the same would most certainly mean death for them, and so they turned around to start the search for another way across. Before they took two steps away from it though, the gap that separated them from the other side started to be covered by a bridge, and Link was addressed by what they assumed was this 'strange character in black' the mogmas kept talking about.

"You, the goddess's chosen hero... Zelda is ahead... Hurry." And just like that, they were gone.

Neither wasted any time at that point, they both hurried across.


	15. Chapter 15

The remainder of the ascent to the top wasn't easy at all, especially for the two of them. Perhaps someone more fit, and able to breathe would have been able to do it easier, but the steep hike up two separate hills was terrible.

Tya was convinced Link was going to drop dead and that her legs were going to fall off by the time they reached the second one. And it didn't make it any easier that those red creeps were throwing boulders over the edge to try and hit them.

The slingshot and her fire both came in handy once again, getting rid of the obnoxious creeps that tried to crush them.

Link already wasn't in very good shape, but by the time they reached the top he was all but turning blue.

Tya had boiled some more water and sat Link down. It was cooler up there, though not by much. They were no longer so close to lava, but it was still warm and still bothersome to the hero.

She'd done what she could to help and was sitting at his side, gently fanning him with her hands. He was calming down, but he was exhausted that was obvious.

He'd leaned over against her shoulder and closed his eyes, breathing in the steam and reveling in the cool breeze she was creating. Even if it was light, it was still nice.

It was around that time that both of them noticed the sound of rustling in the dirt– a familiar rustling that they'd heard from the mogma before. But even so, Tya was too cautious.

A hand lowered and rested on Link's chest while her ice blue gaze turned in the direction of the sound. She adjusted in a way that shown how protective she'd become of her weakened companion. Though reluctant, after a second, she drew away from him just to check out the situation.

Peeking over to the spot she'd heard from, she was relieved to find that her ears hadn't deceived her. It was just two mogmas.

She paused and listened in to the small conversation they had. She thought there would be little they could say that could interest her, but she was wrong. They spoke first of a key that the creeps had broken up into a few pieces and hid in order to keep unwelcome guests out of the temple. And then they spoke of a blonde girl that had gotten carried off…

A spike of panic nearly caused the mage to run out so she could ask questions. Ask how they knew this information and why they didn't help. The fact that their conversation flooded into one about treasure from there especially frustrated her. Why was Zelda not more important to them?

Before she could do as she intended to though, she was caught by a hand over her mouth and a tug backward.

"They m-might not tell us so-some things if they find out y-you were listening in." Link said quietly.

She shook free of his grasp, huffing and looking toward the mogmas again. They'd not yet proven to be dishonest, but people got greedy when they thought treasure was involved, not to mention listening in to conversations was rude.

When the mogmas buried themselves again, deciding they could just burrow under the door, Fi was summoned. She and Link decided to use the sword's dowsing ability to place the pieces of the key they were searching for.

It was monotonous work. Those red dimwits were surprisingly smart when it came to hiding things, but the dowsing was handy. When the dowsing led them to a spot it was easy to see where the key was by the way the dirt was disturbed.

The first and second were relatively simple. One was simply hidden right there, not far from the entrance to the temple. Another was down a steep hill. It was beneath something, a wooden tower it seemed, and it took them a second to figure that out. When they did, Link excitedly decided they should blow it up using the bomb flowers at the top of the hill.

He'd thought he'd had good aim until that point when it took him at least ten tries to get a bomb close enough to the tower to knock it down.

And then again, when it took him at least ten tries to blow up a weak bunch of rocks that had been placed to block a cave.

One of the most difficult spots for the two was one across another gap. This time, they were left to their own devices to figure out just how to get across, though they thought it safe to assume another bridge could be triggered like the last one was.

The plan they finally ended up with was one Tya was not happy with. Not because she had to do something she didn't want to do, but because Link wasn't letting her do something she didn't want to do.

He'd decided a good way to cross was to cling on a ledge, and then to a section of vines that spilled over the edge of the other side. Given how little he was able to breathe, Tya volunteered to do it, despite not knowing if she'd be able to actually hold on long enough to do so. She really just figured if her options were cling on or die, her body would do its best.

Link however, knew that she wasn't strong enough to hold on but he was. If she didn't need to cross like that, she wasn't going to- at least in his head that was the idea.

"You're exhausted and you can barely breathe, let me do it." She started toward the edge, intending on going with or without his permission, but Link hurried in front of her to block her way.

"Y-you are not strong e-enough to climb a-all th-that way, and we both know it."

"Did you just imply that I'm weak?" She paused for a second before pushing him aside and starting toward the edge again. "I'm not fucking weak."

She didn't even make it two steps before she felt two arms wrap around her and lift her off the ground. Link set her down again away from the ledge.

"Don't put w-words in my mouth. I di-didn't say you were w-weak."

"We are wasting time with this stupid argument. Can you just get out of my way so we can hurry?" She went to push passed him again, but Link stopped her. He seemed like he was going to say something for a second, but he didn't. Instead he just turned and stepped over the side, prying Tya's hand off when she tried to stop him.

After he was off, it wasn't like she could really do much. She had no choice but to stand there and watch him, but it really goes without saying that she was angry about it.

She'd set the pack down when she first volunteered to cross, but picked it back up when he was on the other side. It only took a second to find the switch that would release the bridge, and when it was fully extended, she crossed. Angrily.

Of course he was out of breath, again, and Tya resisted every urge she had to say she told him so. And then she realized how inconsiderate and immature she was being.

The guilt just flooded in when she looked at him again... Luckily he didn't seem to be having a serious problem.

"Thank you for opening the way for me. We should take a break so you can catch your breath."

"No, its f-fine. We can walk sl-slow and I'll be fine." He spoke gently, like he was trying to show he wasn't angry without actually saying it. It was like they mutually apologized just through their tone of voice, then started out again to find the remainder of the key.

They didn't get far before they were stopped by Fi, though.

"Master, I am detecting extremely high temperatures from the area directly ahead." She gestured back toward a cave they were about to step into. Just looking at it made it clear that Fi was right about the heat. "I calculate a 95% chance your clothing will immediately combust upon entrance. Please proceed with caution. You may be able to pass through safely if you run. I recommend confirming your direction by dowsing before making the attempt."

She wanted so badly to go on her own and leave him there, let him rest, but she had no idea how she was supposed to find the key without the dowsing...

"Link, can't you just point me in the direction I need to go and I can go alone? I don't want you to run through the heat like that, you'll get hurt."

"You do-don't have to act like I'm fr-fragile, Tya."

"I'm not, I am acting like you're a person that can get burned easily and has been having trouble all day. Please?"

He looked to the cave, then back to her and sighed. "What if something d-dangerous is in th-there?"

"I can handle it. Please stop thinking I'm weak."

"I don't. I th-think you're in-inexperienced in c-close combat and I think y-you're screwed if something gets too close."

She bit the inside of her lip, looking to the cave for a long moment.

"E-Even if I point you the r-right way, it m-might take you forever to find it."

"...We are wasting time again."

"Can you stop sa-saying that? It isn't wasting time t-to be careful."

"We aren't being careful, we are arguing again."

"Then why do-don't we just stick together like we've b-been doing?"

"Because you need a break."

"We don't ha-have time for breaks."

A heavy sigh left her, and a hand rose to sweep back a strand of hair that had escaped her bun. "I'm going first."

He sighed as well, in response, but motioned outward regardless. Tya stepped in first, containing any flames that formed on her or the pack quickly while she found the right way they needed to go. Once she figured it out, she told Link, and they hurried through and out of the heat.

From there, it wasn't particularly hard. It required a bit of thought, but that was about it. On the way back up to the summit, after gathering all the pieces, they realized how late it was. That night was falling quickly, and that by the time they reached the top they'd likely be stuck in the dark... They were both exhausted, but neither wanted to stop. Zelda had been captured and drug into that temple, they needed to continue.


	16. Chapter 16

The moment the door was opened, a gust of hot air poured out and over them. Link turned away and shielded his face until it died, however Tya closed her eyes, letting the heat engulf her body. She could only hope that this is what it felt like for Zelda to 'purify her body', because it was amazing.

She looked back to Link, a hand raising to lightly rub his shoulder when she saw him take a deep breath. They'd need to move slow, or else he'd get overworked once again. Slow, but as fast as they could... They'd need to experiment to find a good pace...

They started into the temple, going down the stairs to step upon a blue stone path that shown brightly against the orange hue of everything else.

Stone slabs lightly swayed in the magma. Casually, like they belonged there. Like it was just a lake of water and they were Lilies so peacefully resting on the surface... Link didn't hesitate with them. They seemed stable enough, and the blue stone path led directly to them. The last temple was set up to their convenience- things grew in places they often wouldn't just to cater to them. So they both assumed this one was no different.

Across the stone slabs to a part built entirely of the blue, standing in the middle of the pool. It branched off in two directions, and on one side it was connected to land.

When lost, go to the right! There was no door there, but there was a soft spot that appeared to have been blocked up. So Link dug it up, and another of those air spouts was uncovered. Nothing of real significance was found on the ledge it took him to though. Only some rupees. The treasure itself was the flow of air that allowed the hero to catch his breath. It was hot steam, but it blew in a way that was a lot cooler than the air around them...

Stepping out again, he nearly decided on going to the right once more, but Tya pointed to a mogma poking out of the ground directly ahead of them. So they crossed over to it.

One of the ones from outside, she realized, though she figured that should have been obvious. He told them that his partner had gone missing, and then realized they were there in search of their friend. He told them about what he knew- what Tya had already heard with her eavesdropping. That a 'weird-looking' blonde girl got dragged away. Though Tya certainly disagreed with the weird looking, she thought Zelda was quite pretty. Perhaps a different hair cut though.

He also told them there was no point in going to the rescue because the place was filled with monsters. To which Tya responded with a scoff and a much too cocky 'I'd love to see them try to take me down here.'

It was surprising really, even to her, to hear such a thing come out of her mouth. The place just invigorated her. Her body wasn't even tired, though it really should have been. She'd been up and moving all day, much more activity than she was used to- though that was slowly changing. Night fell, and though she was used to occasionally going without sleep for a few days at a time, she just thought she should have been exhausted at that point.

Link was, that was clear. Exhausted and it was pushing his patience. To her, it was obvious he wanted this to be over with, so he could lie down.

Flaming keese got to find out his true aggravation. She actually felt a little bad for them with how hard Link was swinging. But he wanted to continue, no time to waste.

They took the last path, after Link stopped to soak up some of the steam from the spout of air.

This time, the slabs of stone were shaking on the surface. Bubbles of magma erupted form beneath them, and the pair hesitated to step on them. A good thing, really, because after a second they shot up, being held by a column of magma.

And then they lowered again, seconds later.

They watched the scene once more, counting the seconds, and on the third time around the used it to their advantage. They jumped across, taken up in the air on a rather unstable stone, and then they were able to jump down onto the new ruined section. The part they belonged on.

Two mechanisms rested on either side with ropes holding gears in place. Link cut the rope and a bridge across the magma started to descend, but paused. Then the other, and it was let down a little more. Their first thought, looking at the rough edges of the structure they stood on, was that the remaining mechanisms had fallen into the magma long ago. But they realized that couldn't be the case if the red creeps were using the place. When they actually got to looking, they found the third piece pretty quickly. It was next to the bridge, and because of its placement, Link just used the beetle to cut the rope. The bridge dropped down, and across it they could see a humanoid figure.

The waves of heat, mask of smoke, and just all around thick air, skewed what they could see, but Tya could tell it wasn't human, nor was it one of the red creeps. It was a short distance, and at that she could see a pattern of green scales against tan ones, an elongated snout, and a massive appendage in the place of an arm.

The closer they got, the more she could see. It appeared to be a lizard. A large one. And the arm was there, but shielded by a large piece of armor that she really couldn't tell much about. Not that she cared- she was more concerned about whether or not that thing was friend or foe.

They didn't get the chance to step on the bridge before Fi appeared and stopped them both. She had apparently taken a reading of the creature, confirming that it was indeed foe, and that it possessed a great physical strength and ability.

She recommended they stay clear of its tail.

Link charged in with little warning after Fi disappeared again, landing a good blow in on its chest, but its scales were thick. There was damage done, but not significantly enough to take it down. A growl escaped it, it bared its teeth and immediately started to attack. The armored arm was held up to block Link's blows, and every time one of them was forced back the creature would leap up and spin swinging a tail which it had a spiked ball attached to, at Link.

As Link fended off its attacks, Tya moved to a good position on its vulnerable side and any chance she saw she started to fire. With their combined attacks, even its strong scaled couldn't keep it alive forever...

With the foe down, they were able to further examine the room... No stone slabs lay awaiting them this time, they were left to figure out how to cross on their own. The red creeps must have had something to get across- something they took or hid, because there was nothing that they could see as useful to them. There were no ledges, no tunnels, dangling vines, nothing. Whatever way across was originally there seemed to have been devoured by the magma long before they arrived, judging by the ruined structure peeking out of the surface in the middle.

Link even took the beetle around, using it to see around the room in places they couldn't from their position. Like many times before, they were stuck. Though this time, not even Link seemed to be able to construct an abstract way around it. Well... At least that's what Tya thought.

Up until he noticed a crack in the ruins in the middle, and a few bomb flowers growing on it.

"Ty, can you sh-shoot that?" Pulling the beetle back, Link pointed out with his free hand to a bomb flower on top of the ruins. She looked at him, then to the bomb flower, and just did as told.

The force of the bomb was enough to chip off a large piece of the ruin. A large round piece. One which didn't sink into the magma, but remained on top, and floated in their direction after being propelled by the explosion.

"Link, no." Tya shook her head, eyes widening a little as she realized what he was thinking.

"Di-Did you see a b-better way across?"

"That's not a way across! That's a way to cleverly kill yourself by rolling into lava!"

"You a-admit its clever."

A sharp and heavy sigh escaped the mage as she closed her eyes and shook her head. He'd succeeded in his other strange endeavors, and the arguments before had proven there was no point in trying to stop him. Not unless she had a better idea, and she didn't. "If it doesn't kill you, I will."

"Hey, th-that's mean." A small smirk tugged at his lips and he pointed at her like he was actually, honestly, offended. She knew he wasn't, and was actually glad to see him play like that.

The sphere bobbed up and down in the magma, somehow holding its form and not beginning to break with the intense heat engulfing it. And with precision, the hero leapt out onto it. He slid at first, taking a second to catch his bearings. Of course, the entire time, he was giving Tya mini heart attacks. Luckily it was a large enough piece of stone that he had quite a bit of room to maneuver, and thus was able to keep from killing himself while he figured out where he needed to be. Because he'd used the beetle, he knew the room's layout. His first destination was a spot to their right- of course. He always went right.

Over there she could hear talking, and see him speaking to a mogma, but couldn't hear what about exactly. She lost sight of him not too long after...

It seemed like he was gone forever, and she was left to pace the piece of land she was on. She looked for another way around, a way she could get over there and make sure everything was okay, but found nothing. The stone he'd used to get around was too far for her to get over there, and so she was left to wait. Each second the room remained relatively still, was just more adding to her anxiety. Right when she was starting to feel sick, she saw him again, coming out to speak to the mogma. She couldn't tell about what, she could barely see him with the state of the temple, but she had this feeling like something wasn't right. The voices were quieter on the other side, the mogma seemed less enthused about everything from what she could hear. What did that mean? What had Link done? Did he find something? What was wrong?

She paced the edges close enough that she herself risked falling in. Her ice blue gaze remained firmly locked on the two of them while she desperately tried to make something out, either hearing or seeing. It was only a few minutes that Link stayed and spoke to the creature, but she still felt like she was dying inside.

Finally he started to return to her. Slowly, less enthusiastic than before, rolling on that sphere stone like he was actually being careful.

Something was wrong, she knew. Had he found Zelda? Was she okay? No, he'd be excited if she was okay, and she'd be there. Was she hurt? Was she dead? One part of her mind said yes, forced the thought just to hurt her, but the other side doubted it. Offered more solutions. The mogma said his friend was lost, perhaps that was what it was? Perhaps he'd found the other mogma dead or injured. That would be sad. It would certainly warrant this reaction- mourn but continue.

As he got closer, she realized something was missing. What was it. His shield?

Of course, why didn't she think of that. It was wooden. Wood burned eas- Wait.

It was gone. He had no shield, that meant he fought. So slowly and carefully- was he hurt?

He returned, sliding down from atop the stone.

Closer, and she could hear his breathing. He was having trouble, skipping breaths.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly closing the little distance between them so she could look him over.

Almost immediately she noticed new blood. It was hard to distinguish whether it was his, so she stepped forward and looked at it.

"I-I'm going to go to th-that part in the middle. I'll r-roll the th-thing back so y-you can get there too."

He had turned away, but she followed his movements. There was a gash in the cloth of his shirt, his bracer, and his arm. A deep one, bad. "You're hurt."

After pointing it out, Link used his free hand to pull her forward, turn her around, and unzip a part of the pack. He pulled out a bottle filled with red liquid- a healing potion. He took a swig of it, then put it back.

"What was it that got you? It broke your shield, didn't it? You don't have it."

"Yeah," was all he said at first. Short and quick, then changed the subject. "Ledd g-gave me this bag, I can p-put th-the bomb flowers in it. Th-they won't go o-off if they a-are in it, so w-we can carry them aro-around." He pointed with his uninjured side, to the bag dangling from his belt. Then he started back toward the stone. "I'll r-roll it back."

"That potion won't heal that quickly, Link, it looked bad." He leapt back out onto the stone and started toward the side that lead deeper into the temple. Like he said, he rolled it back toward her, so she was able to follow.

On the other side, she moved to look at his arm again, but he turned away and kept going.

"Why won't you let me look at it? Please let me see."

"Because you'll ac-act concerned, a-and I d-don't want to w-waste time."

"Act concerned?" She stopped, furrowing her brow for a second before crossing her arms. "Its not a waste of time to let me look at an injury."

"Pl-Please stop."

"You please stop. Pushing yourself won't help her any."

"You're one t-to talk."

She paused, jaw clenching to keep her mouth shut. But not for long. She swallowed the rude things she wanted to retort with, grabbed his uninjured arm and pulled him back.

"We are stopping." She said shortly, her free hand pulling the straps of the pack down.

"No, we ar-aren't. We n-need to move quick, and we h-have no idea how much of th-this place there is."

"Sit down."

"No."

Jaw clenched again, she released his arm only to grab onto the belt over his chest that kept his sword strapped to his back. He looked at her hands with confusion at first, then realized what she was doing and immediately moved to stop her. She already had it unhooked though, and pulled it back just as he went to grab her hands.

"Tya, stop." He tried to grab the sheathed sword back as it slid off him, but she pulled it away too quick.

"Sit down."

"No.G-Give me back my sword."

"Sit down."

He reached for it again, and she pulled it back, then stepped away from him.

"You're being r-really immature."

"I'll act like a fucking four year old all night if it gets you to sit down. The sooner you take a break, the sooner we can get moving again."

A heavy, aggravated sigh left him before he shook his head, rolled his eyes, and sat on the ground. She softened up when she looked down at him, and when she was sure he wasn't going to grab the sword and run, she propped it against the pack and sat in front of him.

She gently took his injured arm, looking over the gash that had already begun to heal up with the potion taking it's course.

Wooden splinters were in the frayed edges of his bracer and in his skin. Whatever hit him must have shattered the shield. So it didn't burn, it was just breaking. He'd used it a lot, it must have been weakened.

She started to pull the bracer down, trying her best to keep from hurting him. The edges had been forced into the wound though, so she had to peel the cloth away from broken skin.

Link winced, but didn't draw back.

She set the piece in his lap, then started to pull up his sleeve. That was torn too. Torn and soaked in blood.

"What was it that got you?" She sounded calmer then. Normal.

"Two of th-those l-lizard things..." He didn't though. Still aggravated and impatient.

The bigger pieces of wood, she started to pull out of the wound. She knew the potion would do its best to force those pieces out while it sealed the split skin, but the less work it had to do, the faster it would go.

Again, he winced, closing his eyes so he didn't have to watch what she was doing.

"You know I don't act concerned about you, I actually am."

"I didn't m-mean it like that wh-when I said it. It just came out that way."

"Is that what you think though?"

He was quiet then, thinking it over as he reopened his eyes and looked around.

"You do think that."

"You came do-down here for Zelda. N-Not me."

"So that means I can't care about you? Why are you acting like this all the sudden? You were fine before." She rested his hand in her lap, both of hers clasped around it.

Again, he kept quiet. She released his hand, pulling her sleeves down over her palms to reach out and wipe his face off. Dust, sweat, and blood had all mixed up on him and was dripping down his features. It had to be in the way, just like his hair. Not that that was doing much movement- it was too busy sticking to his face. He leaned away from her a bit at first, but finally gave up and let her do it.

She didn't push further on the subject, not then. She was more concerned about the wound healing up quickly. So they sat in silence for a few minutes before Link spoke up again.

Quietly and with uncertainty, like he didn't actually want to be saying it aloud, but he needed to. "No-No one would have d-done this for me."

It was something she immediately felt the need to refute, but she didn't. It was true. Zelda was adventurous and she was strong, but she knew she likely wouldn't have made a trip like this for Link. Nor would she have for Tya. Honestly, the only person she could see Zelda going through this trouble to rescue was Geapora, which was understandable. And Tya also knew that days before, when this first happened, she probably wouldn't have gone after Link either. But now?

The beginnings of friendships were often so much more intense and passionate than they were later on, and as she thought over her answer- wondered if that was maybe the reason for the change, she realized she really didn't feel that. There was no novelty, no thirst to get to know him. At first she worried that that meant she really didn't like him, that she just thought she was obligated to act friendly toward him because they were traveling together. But delving a bit deeper into the thought, she realized that wasn't the case. It was because he just felt... Right? Like she didn't need to learn more about him because she knew him already.

She bit the inside of her lip, looking at his arm for a long moment before finally leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Why did you start thinking about this?" Her hand lightly rubbed his back as she held onto him. Just something she thought may offer consolation. She would have drawn away at the lack of a real reaction, but she could feel him leaning back against her. It was light, but his head rested against her shoulder, and he was trying to relax. Somehow, she could tell.

"Because I j-just... Tried to do so-something simple.. he asked me to get his bo-bomb bag and so I went to get it and th-those things attacked me. I-I wanted to give up c-cause I d-didn't care en-enough. All this st-stuff is so hard. I-If it was me, so-someone would have gave up cause th-they don't care enough."

She readjusted, pulling him closer to the point she was almost just sitting in his lap.

Too hot for hugs, but she didn't take that into account. The warmth was fine to her, but probably awful to him, yet he didn't actually move to stop her. The heat of the area no doubt made her already inhuman heat, so much worse.

She pulled back after a few seconds, going back to look at his arm.

The layer of skin the potion was creating was thin and tender, she didn't doubt it would break easily. Something that bad would likely take hours to get healed up well. As she looked it over, fingertips lightly brushing along the back of his hand, she sighed and said "I would go after you."

Her attention kept to the wound, but she could see him looking at her. He seemed like he didn't believe it, but also like he was forcing himself to believe her simply so he could feel okay. She knew that feeling, and honestly just hoped he was better at convincing himself than she was at convincing herself..

"Its true." She added, hoping to further drown any negative thoughts he had. "And I'm sorry for being immature."

Whether the confirmation worked or not, she didn't know. He didn't say anything else about it, only shook his head. "We n-need to figure s-something out s-so we don't argue about th-this stuff so much..."

"And we need to start putting ourselves on the same level we are putting Zelda. I think we've both put her before us."

"Sh-She's in the immediate d-danger."

"As are we. She's able to protect herself. At least enough to survive until we get to her. But if we aren't careful, we never will get to her."

He inhaled heavily, nodding to show he understood that. Then he yawned and looked around again. "W-We need to keep going."

She took a look around as well before her attention rested on him once more. "You need to let this heal a bit more. Can I go ahead and look around, clear the way if I can, and you rest?"

"You n-need to rest too."

"Not here. This place is... I don't know how to describe it, but it feels... Good. I'm alright for now. I won't go too far ahead."

He nodded hesitantly, quietly saying "be careful" as she got to her feet.


	17. Chapter 17

It felt strange being on her own. She had a feeling she'd likely get stuck much quicker than she would while with Link. She was good at solving problems, but when it came to 'thinking outside the box', she was lacking. Link, however, seemed to do it too often. Accidentally making things more difficult for himself because he overlooked the obvious. Together, they had a good balance, she thought.

Up one of the blue paths she was met with her first obstacle. A large chunk of ceiling fell on the edge of a broken path. She could jump across if that piece wasn't in the way. She pulled back, returning to Link to get the bag of bombs.

"He s-said if you come across a bomb flower you c-can refill it."

"They don't explode in the bag?" She undid the drawstring to peek inside at the calm explosives.

"N-no. They just go o-out when you p-put them in."

"I wonder why."

"Dunno. Magic pr-probably." Something about the way he said it made Tya giggle. So casual, like it was just the explanation for all the weird happenings. He was getting used to it. But in this situation, who wouldn't be?

She took it and started back up. The obstruction was dealt with quickly and easily then. She tied the drawstrings of the bag to one of her belt loops, then moved to jump across, but paused. She very nearly stumbled over the edge to try and catch herself.

Across the way was one of those lizard creatures, staring her down. It hadn't charged yet, though the path was clear.

She stepped back and away from the edge, letting the fire engulf her hands. Across, she watched the lizard take a step forward, moving its armored arm to its front to protect from any flames she may cast out.

A ball formed and charged, and the lizard prepared to block it. When she fired though, it didn't matter whether it was dodged or not. The force was enough to knock its arm back and out of the way, and in that short second a weak flame was cast at it. It did little damage against the tough, armored scales, but enough to confuse it. It hurried to block again, but the progression of weak flames continuously hitting it finally took it down. The charred corpse went still, and after a second more of hesitation, Tya made her way across.

There was a door there, awaiting her, and she pulled it open after one last look back to Link. He'd propped the pack up a bit and leaned against it. From the distance, she couldn't tell if he was sleeping, but she really hoped he'd try. He needed it.

She started into the new room, which was a pool of magma with a circle of those slabs formed in it. On a couple of them, were some of those red creeps. It didn't seem to be anything overly difficult, and therefore she felt no reason to turn back.

None of the creeps seemed to notice her presence yet...

Those silent steps of hers didn't come in handy when jumping. She couldn't make that quiet, and in order to get onto the slabs, she had little choice. Luckily for her, though, she only got the attention of one, and when it charged at her from two slabs away, she was able to charge up a ball of fire. Not too much, but enough to knock it off balance, and it stumbled back and into the magma.

A horrible way to die... It had to be, and despite knowing who they worked for and what they did- knowing they were the reason for Zelda being drug away, she was a little guilty. But she quieted the thought the best she could and proceeded. Another red creep had it's back turned on a stone slab not too far from her.

Before going any further, she let a ball charge up well, and shot it. That one was one she was proud of- one she figured killed the creep before it even hit the lava. For some reason, an instantaneous death was more comforting. She knew she shouldn't feel guilty over these things. They were torturing anyone and everyone in their way, barging in on territory that wasn't theirs, and really just being a nuisance to anyone and anything. But all lives were valuable, were they not?

Again, the thoughts were pushed aside, at least for the moment. On the far end of the room, opposite the door she'd entered, was a stone atop another of those bubbling spots. The ones that shot up in columns of magma.

Built around it, was a metal structure. She could see some of the creeps on top of it, but at a distance couldn't accurately count just how many.

When it lowered, she jumped onto it, and when it shot up she lowered herself down and close to the stone. Somehow, she managed to remain undetected, and the first trip up counted how many of the red creeps were on the structure.

Three from what she could tell. Lowered down again, she stood and started to charge the fire. No room for doubt. She took a breath and held it, holding both hands out in the general direction she'd seen the nearest foes. Her steps took her back to the edge of the rock just as it started to lift again. Full height in the air, she had only seconds to correct her aim, and she cast her separate fire balls at two enemies- two that had stood on either side of a pedestal where the third stood.

One hit directly, but the other was only singed. She now had their attention, which she was admittedly not pleased about. But she couldn't take it back, obviously.

This time she put both hands just inches apart, using the joined fire to make a stronger ball in only seconds while her foes charged her. The nearest one- the one she'd just barely burned, took the hit from this charge, and the third continued to rush her. It went to jump, but as it did the stone where she stood started to descend once again. It stumbled, trying to keep itself from toppling over the edge, but failed and ungracefully fell over. Would it have jumped, it may have managed to survive and land on the rock with Tya, however the sudden halt in it's actions meant it didn't have enough momentum to propel itself to a good spot. Instead, it wound up falling, hitting itself on the edge of her rock, and before it could even scramble to try and catch itself, it was devoured by the pool of magma.

That breath the mage held was released seconds after the creature melted away into the heat. She watched the spot a moment longer, but her gaze was drawn away from the magma when the stone started to rise again. Full height once again, she jumped to the platform where the foes stood, and looked around to be sure she was alone. When she was sure, she started up the flight of stairs before the pedestal, and stopped before a treasure chest. The lock it had on it had been bashed, she assumed by the red creeps she'd just slain. However they didn't seem to have had the chance to open it before she attacked. She took up where they left off, lifting the lid to find a map stored inside.

"Useful," she uttered to herself, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as she unfolded it. She briefly glanced at it, but didn't linger long because she figured she needed to return to Link.

A few seconds of mental preparation were needed to leap back onto an unstable stone held up only by a column of magma, but she managed and fortunately didn't suffer a fate similar to that of her previous foe.

Returning to the main room, she found Link had dozed off while leaning against the pack. She was glad to see it, honestly.

She didn't want to wake him, so she quietly took a seat next to him and unfolded the map once again. Looking it over, she noticed the layout was similar to that of the one they'd found at the previous temple. She looked back to the other blue path that branched off the platform they were on. The door they needed to go through was too high to jump up to, and the platform seemed to drop off into the magma. Was it broken? It seemed cleanly separated from the other side.

She got up again, setting the map down and climbing the stairs to check it out. There was a thing on the sides of these stages that were all but completely submerged in the molten rock. They looked like they needed to be pushed in with something. The sphere maybe? That looked like it was heavy enough to do the job, if she got enough momentum behind it.

She looked back to it, then around to see how she could get it to the spot it needed to be in. Two pillars stood in her way. Whether that was on purpose or not, she didn't know, all she knew was that it was annoying. There had to be a way around. Maybe if she blew those pillars up and get them out of the way. She'd try after a little bit. Link resting peacefully came first... Or as peacefully as one could standing in the middle of a volcano surrounded by magma... He couldn't have been comfortable.

The mage dropped down onto the lowered platforms, and stepped to the edge where the door they needed to enter was. It was too high for her to jump, but maybe if Link could lift her high enough she could get up there and pull him up. Whatever way around they needed to find, may just be obsolete since there were two of them.

She returned to her sleeping companion, and lightly fanned him like that would help. All she was doing was gusting hot air at him, but maybe a flow of air would feel better than having thick heat just sitting on top of him.

He was just drenched in sweat, which was understandable really.

While one hand fanned him, the other went to gently pull at his arm, so she could get it and take a look at his injury. It still needed time, but it was healing up well enough.

Apparently her tugging was enough to stir him from his light sleep though, and he shifted a bit before opening one eye and glancing first at the hand that waved in front of his face, and then at her.

"What're y-you doing?" He asked sleepily, furrowing his brow and smiling a bit.

"Trying to cool you off. I'm going to assume it isn't working, though?"

"Not really, no." He chuckled softly, pulling himself to sit up straight, and drawing his arm away from her. He looked at the wound and the split cloth, then at the map she'd set down on the floor in front of them. He motioned to it lightly, and she nodded a bit.

"Found a map." Was all she said, and she grabbed it to hold out to him. He took it, and looked it over, but didn't get the chance to do so long before she spoke up again. "Do you think you can pick me up?"

"I-I have before."

She got to her feet, looking back at their intended direction before returning her attention to him. "You haven't done so while you were injured."

He seemed like he was going to start to speak, but his words were caught up deep yawn, which seemed pretty satisfying given the way he had to stop folding up the map just to carry it on. When he was finished, he took a second before continuing. "It doesn't h-hurt s-so bad anymore. Th-that healing potion helped, I-I think I can handle it."

Those damned infectious things- she started to speak, but it became mixed with a yawn of her own "try to pick me up and get me up there, then." She pointed to the ledge, and he shifted to look back at it. He studied the distance he'd need to lift her before nodding his head a little.

"Gimme t-two seconds." He got to his feet and nudged the pack over to her. She picked it up and slid it onto one shoulder, then started on her way. "Don't come back over here, I'll meet you over there."

She didn't know why he felt the need to say such a thing, but she complied either way. A few seconds later he hurried to her, adjusting his belt and tunic a bit, and she sighed.

"You just peed in the lava, didn't you."

"Yes, y-yes I did." He was much too proud of this accomplishment.

She shook her head, trying her best to stifle a laugh as she slipped the pack down and onto the floor again. "You're weird." She spoke absently, her attention set more on the ledge.

He shook his arm a bit like that would better prepare it for the weight he was about to lift, and then he moved a bit closer to her, awaiting her command. She nodded her head, and he bent slightly, clasping his hands together tight but flattening them so she could step up. She did, and he lifted her, until she was able to latch onto the edge. When she got a hold of it, he helped her lift herself onto it, and after she settled she leaned over the edge. He passed the pack up, and then came the real challenge. It took two tries before she was able to get a good hold of him and pull him up properly, but they did get it.

They situated themselves then started through the new door.


	18. Chapter 18

Stepping through, the first thing immediately in front of them was a large stone ramp across a river of magma. It seemed at one point a bridge extended over it, but it had since broken down.

"We'll have to be careful going up this, it looks as if we could easily slip down." Tya stepped to the edge of broken bridge, looking up the ramp to see just how big it really was. It extended up quite far, but it seemed relatively bare. On one side were a couple of openings. She couldn't see into them, but they looked as if they were created to hold decorations of some sort. On the side opposite the gaps was a long, ornamental railing. It was all quite extravagant, though Tya quickly pulled away from admiring it. She seemed to forget they were in a bit of a hurry...

After snapping herself out of the state of admiration she was in, she started to ascend the ramp. It was steep to the point she actually ended up leaning forward to press a hand to it just for a bit of extra balance. She and Link both ended up just crawling up a short way until they heard a strange creaking. The sound was familiar and yet she couldn't quite place it at first. It sounded like a wooden door opening, but there was nothing around to match the sounds. So she thought.

They'd forgotten that conditioning from the previous temple. Always check the ceilings.

An icy gaze was pulled upward at the sound of crashing- boulders dropping from thick wooden traps in the ceiling. They immediately began to roll down the ramp, directly at the two. She should have known this wasn't going to be that easy...

Panic didn't get a chance to set in, only adrenaline. She and Link both rushed back down the ramp and moved to the side just in time to not be hit by the boulders. They rolled right into the magma, and the pair stood there for a second afterwords. They were both a little stunned at what had happened. It was completely unexpected- they'd very nearly been run down and crushed. But they weren't. And because of that they just looked at each other and gave nervous laughs.

When they were sure more boulders weren't coming down the ramp, they stepped out again and looked up it. It only took a second of studying it for it to hit Tya. It was another obstacle, this would continue to happen. Whoever wished to succeed had to be quick and focused. Avoid the rocks, watch your footing, move fast, get to the gaps in the wall.

She motioned toward them and shook her head. "We have to get to the safe spots in the wall and the boulders will roll passed."

"We g-gotta be quick th-then..." Link looked over the distance once or twice before taking in a deep breath.

They made it to the top. Slowly, but regardless they made it. The gaps in the walls served their purpose as well as let them both stop for a breath- no matter how invigorating the temple may have been Tya still wasn't in the shape she should have been. Running up a steep hill as fast as she could easily took the breath out of her.

It didn't end there, unfortunately. They got up that ramp only to find another one awaiting them. While this one was indeed shorter, the gap that they'd need to climb into in order to avoid being hit or asphyxiated was blocked off by rocks that had either fallen there, or were just placed to be inconvenient. Tya couldn't tell which.

Either way, a breathless Link immediately decided he wanted to try and blow it up. He pulled a bomb flower from the bag and when it ignited he rolled it up the ramp as hard as he could. His aim was actually spot on the first try, however the bomb didn't go off before it started to roll back down. Which, as can be imagined, was a very bad thing for the two of them. They hurried to the right, trying to get out of the way as it came back down. Luckily for them it exploded on its way back down, and not near them. But that left them wondering how they were supposed to blow it up if the distance was too short for the bomb. Holding the bomb for a second or two before it went off was an option, but it was too risky in her opinion. Last resort, if they couldn't figure anything else out.

It didn't take much looking around to figure it out though, especially since they'd move right up against the path they needed to take. In the railing that lined the other side there was a carved out hole- a small crawlspace. Tya set the pack down as Link crawled through, and then she followed him. At first it seemed all that was on the other side was a couple more bomb flowers and a nice fall of magma that went under the land they stood on. But after a bit more investigation, Link dug up another spout of air that they used to get up to a flight of stairs that led to a balcony.

It required a few tries to throw the bomb in the right place, but eventually they managed to blow up the rocks that blocked the gap.

They made it up to the top and took a break to regain their stamina. The area they came to was quite beautiful really. A large dragon head allowed magma to pour into the pool surrounding the land they stood on. Unfortunately it was also right in the way of the path they needed to take to get to the next door.

Much of the ruins lay in the magma at that point, so she could only imagine how magnificent it must have looked when it was new. There were two flights of stairs, though one case had fallen long before their arrival, that led up to a long crooked bridge, which Tya assumed was their next destination. It was the only path left to take, so it must have had some way to stop the fall of magma.

When thinking of this though she was really thinking of some sort of lever or mechanism to close the thing up- something along those lines. Not a giant boulder that nearly crushed them and seemed to be triggered when they opened the chest which contained the piece they needed to open the door. Evading the damn thing was difficult, as they had to rush down that bridge and hurry to jump over the edge before it got them. They made it, luckily, and the boulder flung over them. The momentum it gained down the bridge helped it plug up the dragon's mouth, thus opening their path.

She honestly figured it to be a convenient mistake, but as they crossed over the jagged gap and got to the door they'd need to open, the dragon's mouth closed and it 'swallowed' the boulder.

The amount of science or mathematics or whatever it must have taken to accurately plan that all out without fault must have taken whoever built that place forever. It really amazed her, but she didn't dwell on it long.

They didn't know exactly what awaited them on the other side, so they took one last break where they ate, drank, and rested.

Again, the door was much taller than the two, and they had to figure out just how the piece fit in to unlock it. So Link lifted Tya up so she could get a good look at the inside, and then he set her down again so she could adjust it how it needed to be adjusted. This one was actually quite simple, so there was less awkward fumbling about as she slipped it into the socket it belonged in. Just as the last did, the door cracked open and opened the way for them.


	19. Chapter 19

The door closed again behind them, and though they expected it, it still worried them. They were starting to get used to what that meant- they were about to get in some trouble.

Goddess she just hoped this one would be something living...

A quick glance was passed to Link to see if he was ready to proceed, and when he started forward, Tya followed. As they walked, Fi formed beside her master, floating along next to him.

"Master, I detect Zelda's aura in the surrounding area." They came to a chain, which really Tya would have missed if it weren't for the fact that Fi moved toward it and looked down at it. "I detect an especially strong reaction from this chain. I calculate the probability Zelda was bound by it recently at 95%. I surmise Zelda was somehow able to escape and proceed along this path. I suggest we continue with all possible speed." A fine recommendation, Tya thought. She quickly took that suggestion on and started forward faster than she had before. Though after a second or two she slowed again, realizing that there could be another of those skeleton things ahead... She had no desire to find one of those before her companion did...The short path led to yet another long ramp, which they had to jump down to from a ledge.

She returned to his side after they jumped over with a particularly annoyed and uncomfortable demeanor.

Link didn't ask questions, only smiled and nudged her lightly in attempt to lighten the mood up again. And he succeeded. They were about to be reunited with Zelda, and whatever lay in wait between her and them would fall to their hands. He was too strong and she was too stubborn to let anything bring them down.

Even Ghirahim, who just so happened to be watching them from atop another dragon statue. If it weren't for the fact that he had to open his mouth, Tya probably wouldn't have even noticed him up there.

"Oh, it's you," he started, leaning forward and narrowing his eyes down at the pair. "Let me see... No, that's not it. This is so very embarrassing, but I seem to be at a loss for your names. Not that it matters, really. To tell you the truth, I'm feeling a bit frustrated, and right now I just need someone to vent to." He cleared his throat a bit, simply for dramatic affect it seemed. "You see, I heard my underlings had finally captured the spirit maiden, so of course I rushed over here. What can I say? I was excited. Flustered, even. But what did I find when I arrived? That agent of the goddess..." With an appearance and a voice like his, one may find it difficult to believe the amount of spite he could muster and force into his tone. "She had once again... You see, what I'm trying to say is... That goddess-serving dog escaped with the girl!"

At that point Tya paused and furrowed her brow. "Why are we listening to him exactly?" She nudged Link a little, and he paused as well.

"Well, c-cause it's a n-nice th-thing to do...?" He didn't quite know if that was a reasonable response, and the way he said it made it obvious he didn't actually care about being nice to Ghirahim. And she didn't blame him for that at all.

The Demon Lord had carried on a bit, not even noticing the two had stopped listening to him for a moment. They caught back up with his words again as he said "...I got a little carried away there, didn't I? I don't deal well with... complications to plans I've laid out so carefully. Its a character flaw of mine. Ah, but something good can still come from this day! I've had all this bottled up anger smoldering inside me, and now I can release it." He leaned forward then, his gaze shooting straight through both of them. Tya tensed then, her hands immediately igniting. That made it completely clear he was planning something.

"There's someone special I'd like you to meet. Oh, don't be shy! I need to vent all this unhealthy anger, and your agony is such a great stress reliever. It won't take more than a few moments with my friend before you're charred to a satisfying crisp. And let me tell you, that will put a spring in my step!"

At that point, the fire mage had had enough of his useless speech, and that fire that had engulfed her hands cast out, hard and powerful, only to just miss him as he disappeared in a cluster of diamonds.

The mouth of the dragon statue he stood on started to fall open, and out fell that boulder from before. It crashed down, coursing down the ramp they were on.

The pair quickly split, one on either side allowing the boulder to go straight down the middle. It crashed into the ledge they'd jumped off of and it sounded as if it shattered, but the cloud of dust it pushed up skewed what they could see. It didn't take long for Tya to realize something was off- the sound it made made her positive there would be debris, but nothing flew back.

The dust died down and the shattered rock seemed to be frozen there for a second. Then in an instant it began to redden, and what appeared to be limbs broke out of the cracks in the stone. As it adjusted the two began to step back, ready to run for it but not prepared to take their eyes off the creature just yet. A quiet growl at first was only preparation for the monstrous roar that left it as it's entire body went up in a flame.

At that point, without hesitation the two just ran for it to the top of the ramp.

Link was out of breath, but there wasn't any time to let him rest and she knew it. A quick look around showed her that bomb flowers lined the sides of the landing they stood on, and she bit the inside of her lip a bit.

"I-I..." she hesitated a little, looking over to see how close the creature had come to them. She didn't know what that thing could do, but it was made of fire. She had a better chance getting near it than Link did. Link looked at her, then to the bomb flowers, and immediately grabbed one and threw it down. It hit the creature and exploded, knocking it back just a bit, but not enough to get it far away. "Don't get close but keep throwing the bombs."

She pulled the bomb bag off her and quickly stuffed it in Link's hand, then pulled the pack off and tossed it to the side. She then sprinted down toward the beast. Both hands lit up, and she looked back at Link just as he was preparing to throw another flower. It went over Tya's head, hitting the beast just right and knocking it back again.

She watched it regain itself, and beneath the stone armor around it she could see an eye peering down at her.

It was a bit strange... She hadn't exactly been confident at all throughout this journey, or ever really. But looking into that thing, and then into the fire around it just filled her with adrenaline.

The fire in her hands cast out, hitting it and doing no damage at all. Her fire just mixed with what was already on it and faded away, but she kept on. Link kept with the bombs, knocking it back a little more each time until one finally got it all the way off balance. It rolled back down the ramp, and Tya quickly rushed down after it. It seemed dazed at that point, the eye twitching a bit as it tried to get itself up again.

More of her fire was cast to it, and the eye flickered to her for a moment as it pulled itself up on fiery limbs. It towered over her and gazed down at her as the stone was taken up in flames once more. She didn't back down though, she looked right back up at it and even gave it a little bit of a smirk. She was sure it wasn't actually in response to the sign overconfidence she displayed, but it easily seemed like it was angered when it inhaled deeply and shot out a ball of fire. She stepped aside as it brushed passed, searing her clothing quite dramatically, but not bad enough that she was overly concerned about it.

No more hesitation then. A barrage of weak flames was continuously cast out, one after the other with barely any time between. Each did no damage, but she didn't stop. It started to crawl up again, but Link kept it going slow with the bombs, and Tya kept the flames going.

Again, he managed to knock it down, and as it rolled Tya went after it again the best she could, this time getting much closer. Her hands rose and extended out to the beast before her. Her fire drenched it. Now it was time to see just how much fire she could have under her control. Link had asked if she could control a flaming beast earlier, and now it was time to find out the answer.

Both shaking hands rose, and the weak fire on her hands reached out to mix with what she'd covered the beast with. Her hands held up straight as if she was motioning for it to stop. It had already fallen and was attempting to rise again, but it froze then and its body didn't make a move. The eye still flickered about, a bit more rapidly as if it was trying to figure out what was going on.

Her flames poisoned what the creature had and it all became her own.

Everything on this monster was hers. Something about that feel- the thought of having so much power over something like this was almost euphoric.

It didn't take a step because it couldn't.

"You belong to me now." She glanced back, seeing Link standing there, tense and uncertain. He was watching, and when he saw her look back he started to slowly come down the ramp with his sword drawn. She would have watched him more, but it was easy to feel her control slip the moment her concentration split. She hurried to retake complete control, forcing her fire back in and not letting her concentration falter this time.

The beast was still until he came to her, and when he stood at her side she smiled for a quick second and then she tried to close her hands.

It felt like they were being forced to stay open. Like two similar magnets being pushed together. She had to pull them closed. She had to squeeze as hard as she could, which after losing so much, wasn't very. The pull ached, her knuckles whitened, and her hands shook more than they already had been. But every little bit her hands closed made the fire inside the shattered stone dim.

She was sucking the life from it. She was putting out the fire like she'd done before on their clothes, but this was different, this was more. Could she make any flame hers? Could she completely manipulate any fire? She could learn to do this, could she learn to bend her fire to her will and make it do whatever she wanted?

The pull got stronger again, forcing her hands open once, as her concentration strayed like it did and she noticed only when the creature budged just slightly. It was fighting her control, but she was quick to reel it back in, and her focus went entirely on the beast once again. She pulled back, continuing to force her hands closed and finally after fighting for what seemed like forever, she ripped all the flames away from the stone. It fell, as did the eye, and while Tya took a step back to take a breath and keep herself from collapsing, Link moved forward and thrust his sword through the eye.

And that was that. Link grabbed Tya's arm to help hold her up, and they both took off before they could see or do or say anything else about the situation. Zelda was close and they had to get to her before Ghirahim did. Whoever that 'agent of the goddess' was, she could protect Zelda apparently, but she couldn't take her home where she belonged.


	20. Chapter 20

The room the pair stepped into had quite a familiar feel to it. It was peaceful and quiet and unlike the rest of the temple. It was bright, and that orange hue the flames and magma created seemed to leave this room untouched. Link was seemingly relieved by the coolness and the peacefulness of it, but that was understandable given the fact the temple's heat was suffocating him.

Tya had started to do what she normally did- take a look around, but that was quickly cut short the moment she saw movement at the top of a flight of stairs. On top of it, before a pool of radiating light, stood Zelda and a woman dressed in black- the one that had spoken to them on the bridge much earlier. Tya stepped forward, opening her mouth to speak but getting cut off before she could.

"Zelda!" Link beat her to it, moving toward her but freezing when the piercing gaze of the woman in black met his.

"Link! T-" She too tried to step forward, having her sentence and her words brought to a halt by a thin arm extending out in front of her.

"You cannot go to him, Your Grace. Remember what we discussed. Restrain yourself. Focus on the task at hand." The woman in black spoke to Zelda quietly, causing her to withdraw and redirect her gaze to the ground. Link and Tya had moved to the end of the stairs at that point, staring quite helplessly up at their friend. And for a second she stared back at them with the same expression, but it soon twisted to determination. She turned away, head bowed and hand rose to rest of her heart.

"I… I have to go. I'm sorry." Zelda gave a quick glance back to both of them, letting it linger on each of them for a moment before stepping forward into the light.

That confidence Tya had pulled from their victory over the enemy faded quickly as she watched her friend disappear.

Tya was actually briefly numbed by the disappointment, but Link wasn't. No, Link stumbled up the stairs as if he was going to go after her. He didn't get far though. The woman in black held a hand up as a signal to stop, and Link complied.

"It took you far too long to get here. Looking at you, I fear the goddess is mistaken in her choice of agents. If this failure is any indication, you have no hope of defending Her Grace from those who seek to assail her." Her hand lowered as she watched Link. Tya couldn't see his expression, but the way his shoulders dropped told her what the woman in black said hurt. And she wasn't surprised, because it hurt her as well.

How foolish of her to ever think she could do something well. Link was being held back by her, and now look what she did. Zelda slipped through their grasp because she was incompetent and she was in Link's way. He was being scolded because she was useless. Because she was too pathetic to handle this task. This was Link's task, not hers. Go home. Burden. Unwanted.

"Do my words anger you, boy? Do my words sting? Let them. If I had not come when I did, your Zelda would already have fallen into the hands of the enemy. The truth of it is you were late. You were late, and you failed to protect her. I sent Zelda ahead to learn more of the fate in which she is destined to play a part. Listen well, chosen one. If you wish to be of help to Her Grace, you must summon a shred of courage and face the trials laid out before you. Only when you've conquered the trials will you be of use to Zelda. No sooner. Am I understood?" Her words were met with near silence- all but the gentle ringing of the light behind her. And after a second she turned and disappeared into it as well. The light died, and the two were stuck standing in utter silence... Pained and disappointed. Heart broken and worthless.

Tya just stood there. Link kept quiet and went on to do the same as he did previously, using the skyward strike to trigger a crest and listening to Fi speak to him.

She spoke this time about another fated place. The desert of Lanayru where the Gate of Time awaited Zelda. And then a light set a new tablet into his hands. He lowered it and brushed his thumb along the worn surface.

It was then that Tya actually started to move again. That disappointment was still lingering, but she managed to push aside the numbing, sickening feeling it brought over her. She didn't doubt Link was more upset than she was, and she thought she may as well comfort him. Be of some use at the very least...

A hand gently rested on his shoulder, and she looked at the tablet in his hands. He only tilted his head in her direction, but did not fully look at her.

"You did great." She said quietly and gently, leaning over to rest against his shoulder. His only response was to shake his head and shrug her off, turning around to start back out of the temple.

Exiting the temple, they didn't do much. Morning had come and gone, and it appeared to be just before noon. With the daylight, they were able to safely return to Skyloft where they separated once again. Tya hurried home, feeling quite awkward in her scorched clothing. She'd forgotten about it with her attention on Zelda and the woman in black, and it wasn't until cold air made contact with her heat that she remembered. Nothing was inappropriately exposed, but her body was uncovered more than she liked it to. She was quite modest, really, and she very much preferred to have a good amount of her covered.

She showered, ate, then changed into something quick and comfortable, because she felt it didn't quite matter. It had been a couple days since they'd bought her armor, so she assumed it would be ready by then.

On her short walk out to the bazaar, she noticed a little yellow light straying from the goddess statue and finding its way along the cloud barrier. After a few seconds, it shot through, breaking them open and revealing a new path.

She paid it little mind at that point, though. She knew she and Link would be going to it soon enough, so any curiosity she had would soon be sated.

The smith that made her armor helped her put it on, as he actually knew how it worked. Tya did not- that would be her first time ever wearing something so heavy. It was surprisingly comfortable though, after it all got adjusted. There were few straps and ties she'd need to pay mind to, so it wasn't all that difficult to get on, but the help was appreciated. It was to be worn over what she already had as the bottom layer was chainmail. Over the chainmail was a hardened leather curaiss with the common skyloft designs along the front. The bracers she had were a lot like Link's- blue cuffs with leather over her hands, but it did not cover them completely. Instead, the leather extended up a bit so her entire hand would be covered, and extended back so her wrist and forearm were protected. Her palms however were completely uncovered.

The armor was fitting and she felt safe in it- safer than she had in the normal clothing at least. She knew it wouldn't hold against anything, but she was much more likely to survive now than she was before. She thought it might also do her well to get a blade of some sort, but didn't actually act on the thought.

Fingertips lightly toyed with the straps on her side as she started toward the bazaar's exit. She'd intended to go straight home from there, but that young woman, Orielle, caught her attention before she did. They ended up taking a short walk around the lower half of Skyloft, but Tya soon parted when they walked near the Knight's Academy.

She'd been mostly distracted since they got back to Skyloft, but she had a lingering concern in the back of her mind for Link. The woman in black had said some very harsh things, that, in all honesty, Tya was just trying to block out and forget entirely. She had no desire to be beaten down when she finally started to feel like she was doing well. Whether or not it was really working had yet to be seen.

Regardless, she was concerned about him and therefore when they reached the academy, she broke away from her new acquaintance and after a quick goodbye, she went into the academy.

Entering through the lower entrance meant she was already rather close to Link's room, along with many of the other knight's. So she wasn't at all surprised to hear Groose's voice the moment she came within earshot. She rounded the corner to see the distressed red head standing just outside his door as if he was about to enter, but was caught by Link. Link just stood in the middle of the hall, head bowed as he listened to more harsh words spoken to him.

"...your fault, you know. You can barely fly straight, and yet somehow you beat me in the race… It should've been me up there with her that day. But I guess now I'll just have to be the one to save her!"

Tya watched them, waiting for Link to respond, but he didn't. He just remained standing, gaze directed away from Groose.

"Don't think I don't see you flying in and out of town all the time. I know what you're up to! You're trying to make sure you find Zelda first, but it ain't gonna happen!"

At that point, Tya realized Link wasn't going to respond. Insults had proven to only worsen the situation last time she went in that direction, so this time she stepped up to Link's side, rested a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"Why does it need to be a race, Groose? Why do you have to be this immature? You could just help. Help bring her home. A hero isn't what's needed, you don't need to pretend to be one, she just needs to come home. Do you not see how selfish it is to want to be the only one trying?" She spoke gently, trying to show she wasn't meaning it to be an attack, simply a way to get some sense into his head. And he didn't respond. He only shook his head and forced his door open then slammed it closed after he entered.

Link watched the closed door for a second before shrugging her hand off his shoulder and going to his own.

"W-We are going to l-leave again in a few minutes." He said quietly, opening the door and stepping inside. He left it open behind him, suggesting that Tya needed to follow, so she did. She closed it gently and looked up at him as she leaned back against it. His sword, shield, and the pack were already in the room, so she assumed he must have set them down before taking a trip out to the bazaar as well. He began to shift stuff around so he could stuff some more things into the pack.

"You need to rest though. Did you eat?" She could tell he must have bathed, they'd both been greasy and covered in dirt before, but he was much cleaner then.

"I'll be fine. I g-got some potions..." He tapped a bottle of green liquid before shoving it further down into the pack.

"I don't think that's going to suffice, Link. You need to really rest."

"It'll be fine, I-I've done it before. So have a l-lot of p-people here. Just tr-trust me."

As much as she wanted to refuse and talk him into resting, she just couldn't. They'd 'taken too long' last time. They'd failed and just missed their objective all because they weren't fit for this. Because she wasn't. It was her fault, always her faul- stop.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" She questioned quietly, absently, moving to set one hand over the other so she could rake her nails across the back of it. He simply nodded in response, and she accepted it. She didn't want to but she did. She was uneasy about it all, but she knew why he was doing it and she agreed. She didn't want to waste any more time either…


	21. Chapter 21

They had landed upon a strange spot. It seemed perfectly placed for them. From above, Tya couldn't exactly tell what it was, but it was a flat, elevated structure which a ladder had been put up against so they could get down easily.   
She looked around as a gentle gust of warmth brushed over them. It seemed that the structure sat outside of a cave. Steps had been carved down to the entrance of the cave, and a path had been set to lead to it. The place, just like the previous two, seemed ancient. Which caused some confusion, given the fact that there was a relatively stable wooden ladder still standing, but Tya didn't ask questions. A lot of things didn't make sense down there, if she was going to start questioning things, the ladder would be relatively low on her list.   
Link took a lap around the top of the structure they were on before returning to Tya and motioning toward the cave. She assumed that meant that was definitely their destination.   
“Th-there's one of those cube th-things o-over here, but th-that's the right way.” Link then started to the ladder and both of them dropped down onto the land. He went and used the skyward strike to send the cube off to the sky, and then they both went to the cave.  
As they walked, she realized what she thought to be a path wasn't actually a path, but a rail of some sort. It was broken down in places, suggesting that it was likely not of any use to them. Even if it was, whatever was supposed to run along them wasn't there.   
Inside the cave was relatively uninteresting. A few keese here and a mining cart there, but other than that it was a short, dark walk through an old cave. Perhaps if Link was in a better mood, it would have been more fascinating, but he wasn't. He was tired, impatient, and obviously unhappy...  
Coming out on the other side, they stepped into a circular area. In the center of the area was the only thing that actually seemed to have color to it there-- everything else was either sand or the color of sand. It was a bright purple stone with a strange eye-like symbol on it. It seemed to be of importance, given the way it was set up on a bit of a stage and cradled in a stand.   
Further inspection led Tya to believe that this circle was also carved out somehow, with the near perfect formation of it. It seemed to be the hub for something important. There were things that looked like machines with pipes extending off and burrowing into the ground, and tracks that led to odd looking doors.   
Link's attention seemed to immediately go to the doors, and after a brief look around the area they both approached the one on to the right of them. Link tried to pull it open, but it wouldn't seem to budge even after trying it from every angle he could reach. He even hit it, though that was more out of anger than anything. They moved to the second one on the other side, but got the same response.   
It was then that Link whipped around and set that gorgeous blue gaze of his on the purple stone in the middle.   
Link seemed to be pretty set on moving forward and nothing more, but even if time was of the essence, Tya was curious. He'd started examining the stone carefully, but Tya walked around the stage on which it sat.   
In the dust and sand, almost completely engulfed and covered, she spotted some odd scraps of metal. They were mostly strange to her because the place seemed relatively clean-- the machines which any metal belonged to were still relatively intact. She knelt, digging in a bit and dusting it all off so she could examine it. She immediately set it back down when she noticed it had a face.   
“Link,” she called quickly, causing him to turn quick and reach back for his sword. The way she called for him led him to believe there was danger, but really she was just a bit panicked to be holding a “body” she'd just dug out of the sand.   
“I-I found something.” She kind of quieted and calmed then, seeming relatively guilty for worrying him to begin with. She shouldn't have spoke at all, he was too annoyed. She should have kept her mouth shut and stayed out of the way. Lose feeling and obey, that was all she needed to do. Anything else would be wasting time. No pride, no curiosity, no exhaustion, no fear, just obey. But… That wasn't healthy, why would Link want this. Why would Zelda?  
Her thoughts had managed to lose her for a second, but Link pulled her back when he knelt and began to examine the metal as well. He picked up another small part, one that looked to be a hand.  
He studied it all for a second before shrugging a bit and shaking his head. “I don't kn-know, but it isn't g-gonna help us now.” He lightly tossed it back in the sand and returned to the stone in the middle. And after a second or two of hesitation, Tya stood and did the same. She was already invading, she didn't need to bother him even more...  
The stone looked important, so naturally that meant to it needed to be hit. Honestly though, Tya didn't understand why Link's first instinct was to strike the stone, and the look of absolute confusion she gave him seemed to make that known to him.  
“That's w-what we had to do to th-the st-stones in the first place.” He explained simply like he figured such a thing would be obvious. The two stones didn't look at all alike, so Tya probably never would have come to the same conclusion, but it seemed to work anyway. A second or two after his explanation, it began to shine and then it made a strange sound, almost like it had started to power up and then was shut down quick and without warning. The shine died out and the stone had changed to a nice blue color.   
They looked around to see what they had triggered, but much to their dismay, neither of the two doors opened.   
Link was becoming increasingly annoyed, and seemed like he was about to get very angry, but it was only out of impatience. A bit of crackling came from the stone and it began to lift out of the stand it was held on. From it, a burst of energy coursed over the ground, leaving a trail of color behind it. The area just came to life with the stones power. Grass, flowers, vibrant colors, even the railing and a heavy metal cart regained exuberance and power. That thing Tya had found earlier, buried in the sand lifted as well, forming limbs of electricity which the hands attached to. All lit up and alive, it wasn't quite as disconcerting to look at it. It appeared to be a robot.   
That one wasn't the only one either. A few of them dug away at the walls, mining for something, and a few paced the area as if keeping watch.   
Both of them froze then, both because they were shocked and because they had no idea if these were hostile 'creatures'. But they quickly proved to be friendly when one approached them.   
“Where did you come from?” It asked, following with a bit of a buzzing sound.   
Tya and Link both just stood there for a second, unsure of what to say. Finally Link just kind of pointed back toward the cave and when that answer seemed to be mostly sufficient, he let out a sigh of relief.   
“We are travelers...” Tya spoke with uncertainty at first, but cleared her throat and smiled. “What are you all digging for?”  
“We're here collecting Timeshift Stones and transporting them to Lanayru Mining Facility. Stay away from the blue stones. They're too dangerous for humans!” And with that the thing disengaged and returned to overseeing. Tya tilted her head a bit, unsure of how to respond. Everything they'd met until that point didn't quite know what they were, but this thing so simply referred to them as humans like it was nothing.   
Her confusion wasn't long lasted though, because Fi soon emerged from the blade and looked back toward the robot before speaking to the pair.   
“I am able to confirm that a time shift has occurred within this space. Any impact to the blue stones creates a sustained temporal disruption field in the surrounding area. Readings show that this area is in a past time state.” And as usual, before they could respond, she was gone again.   
“This is the past then?” Tya muttered, looking around at the creatures and the machines. “I wonder what happened to them.”  
“Time, probably.” Link replied quickly and simply, moving toward one of the doors again. Before they could reach it though, they watched as one of the mine carts made its way down the railing and up to the door. Only then did the door open, and after the car was allowed through it closed back again.   
So then they figured it was time to backtrack. Or more like Link angrily moved back and started to pull at a cart just outside of the ring that separated past from present. When he pulled it into the past, it immediately lit up and regained life like everything else had. It automatically went on its way, and the two started to follow. Though with how slow it was going, that became tedious, so they just crawled in and waited it out.   
They came in to a new section where past and present was once against separated right down the middle of the room. More of those metal scraps and a good bit of rubble lay scattered just passed the line, and on the other side was a worn statue with a front that resembled a basket.   
The pair climbed back out of the stopped mine cart and began to look around.   
The room didn't have much to offer, even on the more vibrant side of it.   
Of course, Link went to the right side of the room. Tya however took to the left, where the strange statue was.   
She had raised a hand to touch the statue, but didn't get much of a chance to do so before the sound of rocks hitting the ground startled her. She would have been worried the cavern was beginning to collapse if it weren't for the fact that the sounds were small. She barely even needed to look for the source of the sounds as well, all she had to do was turn and see Link attempting to uncover something.   
“Did you find something?” She asked, stepping away from the statue and closer to him.   
“I th-think it's another one of those time shift th-things.” He said absently, pulling away another piece of rubble that seemed to be holding up quite a bit of the pile. He shuffled backwards as the pile began to fall apart, and soon it uncovered another blue rock. This one looked different than the last-- untouched and uncut, like it hadn't really been 'mined' yet.   
Just like the last one, Link struck it, and vibrancy poured over the cave.   
Something about the statue kept her attention though. For some reason she felt like it didn't belong, which really was an accurate assumption given the fact that it was in a cave, pressed into a wall for seemingly no reason at all. A decorative piece may have been better placed outside where visitors would see it.   
This however, did not seem to be the place for such things.   
She tilted her head to the side, examining it fully and completely, and as she did a hand extended out to lightly touch the edges which barely stuck out from the stone wall of the cave. She lightly ran her hand down them, at first in an idle action, but soon the scraped edges caught her attention.   
It seemed her attention wasn't the only one the statue had gotten a hold of, as Link soon approached as well. Before Tya could inform him of her thoughts on it, he said “I-It looks like it moves out.”   
She simply nodded in response to show she agreed, and then without a word they both grabbed a hold of it the best they could. It took quite a bit of tugging, but they did manage to get it to budge. It was very heavy, so when they got it to move, they chose to stop. It moved forward, and they didn't want to risk it falling on either of them.   
So they stepped back again to gather their thoughts.   
If it was this much trouble to move, maybe they shouldn't have been trying. Perhaps this was the wrong direction for them to be going in.   
“Maybe it isn't supposed to move.” Tya finally said, biting the inside of her lip and looking to Link after.   
“Where e-else are we su-supposed to go?”  
“There was the other door. Maybe there's something in there.”  
“But w-why would th-there b-be a time shift stone I-in here if th-there wasn't something in here?”  
“It is uncut. Maybe it isn't supposed to be here, it just hasn't been moved to where it needs to be yet.” They both went quiet then, thinking over what they should do.   
“It budged a little.” Link said quietly, shaking his head. “I-If there's not a-anything useful b-behind it, we wi-will find that out a-after we move it. I j-just want to make s-sure th-though.”   
Tya nodded once more to show she understood, then they both moved back to it, this time to the sides. That way if it fell, it would simply fall forward onto the ground.  
Again, the heavy statue gave them trouble, but they did manage to move it out more. This time they moved it enough to see that there was something behind it. Or there was nothing, meaning not even a wall. Meaning that a new path was blocked by this statue. So they kept going and managed to pull it out just enough for them to get behind it.   
Behind it, the time separated once more, and there was a walkway that slowly turned to sand. Lining the walls was more of those statues, though these seemed different. They were worn in a different way than the last one was. The fronts were black and terribly cracked and chipped, but only near the baskets. They were set a little odd, like they could easily fall forward with a little bit of budging.   
But they didn't need to be touched, not right now. There was a path that seemed perfectly fine before them, so they started down it. It wasn't until Link stepped into the sand that he realized something was wrong with it. It gave way easily, allowing one of his boots to sink in unexpectedly. He tried to move back quickly out of shock, but the sand that closed him in wouldn't allow it. He very nearly fell on his back but Tya grabbed him and helped him keep balance.  
He tugged harder trying to get it out again, but really it only shifted the position in which he was stuck. The smallest movements would very briefly open a way, but the thick sand quickly fell back into place around him.   
He wiggled a bit and tugged once again, allowing the sand to fill in under his foot so it would put him higher, closer to the surface.   
While he was attempting to get himself free, Tya stood there just before the sand, holding tight onto him so he wouldn't fall.   
When a moment came that she saw she could help get him free, she yanked him back, and the sand finally released him. He stumbled, of course, having had his foot set all wrong and his boot nearly pulled off him. So Tya didn't let go, she continue to keep him up while he readjusted.  
“I believe that's going to be a problem.” She said quietly, nodding toward the sand. Link shook his head before letting out an aggravated sigh.   
“You s-sink in and i-its t-too heavy to pull all th-the way out.” Link spoke angrily and slowly slid his arm from Tya's grasp. Before she moved to release him, he stopped pulling away. It was strange to her, given the way he'd been acting all day. Strange that he'd stop just as a hand was set to rest in one of hers.   
He'd been so angry and annoyed, her mind was convincing her it was best to keep quiet and obey so she wouldn't be in his way and make things worse. But even a gesture so small, something that could easily have been idle, was helpful in reminding her that he wasn't turning into some raging, emotionless soldier, bent on doing what needed to be done no matter who or what stood in his way.   
To have such a drastic change in attitude practically over night meant something more. Meant he was hurting or stressed or both. She didn't know, but it just took that small touch to remind her that he'd been insulted for trying so hard. He was tired and he was trying, of course he was going to be angry, and it was in no way her fault. Why her mind kept having to tell her that, she didn't know...  
In response to these thoughts, the mage gave a light squeeze to the hand in hers. Link looked back at her, then to their hands and he paused. His shoulders dropped just a bit and he closed his mouth.  
He didn't say anything, he just allowed his own grasp to tighten around her hand as well. He held onto her for a moment, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath… Like he was trying to calm himself-- no, like Tya was calming to him.   
She hesitated a little upon thinking this. She felt as if she should push such thoughts aside-- that feeling like she's needed would only end up in disappointment. But didn't everything end up that way anyway? To avoid disappointment was to avoid life in general.  
“...You know...” She said absently, not actually realizing she'd spoken at first. She inhaled a bit, then held her breath as she thought over what to say next. “We are going to do great.”  
Said with such confidence.  
Such confidence that she'd never felt before.   
And she felt she was right too. Despite what the Guardian of the Goddess said to them, despite any of the difficult challenges they'd face, despite Ghirahim. She felt right. So they were slow the last time, Zelda was still alright. Everyone still survived. They were only going to get better from there, weren't they? That showed when Tya fought in the Earth Temple-- she'd been doubting herself so damn much the entire time and she still won. So what could she do with herself if she was confident?  
“...Y-You think so?” Link asked quietly, opening his eyes only to watch her.   
“Yes, I think so.”  
“I d-don't want to di-disappoint Hylia...” It was a gentle admission, like he felt stupid for saying it. Honestly, it was a surprise to Tya. Of course, everyone in Skyloft believed heavily in their goddess and revered her greatly, however it was something that was just… common. To Tya it never really held much importance. To her Hylia was a concept not a person. A concept of what, she didn't know, but she never really thought of the goddess as someone with thoughts and feelings-- as someone who could be disappointed. Regardless, this was what Link believed and worried about...  
“I don't see how you could disappoint anyone.” She furrowed her brow, gaze shifting downward as she thought over her own words once again. “Even Hylia.”  
Link opened his mouth again like he was going to speak, but he didn't. After a second all that escaped him was a little sigh and he nodded a bit. “W-We should keep moving.” He slowly released the hand of hers he still held, and turned back to the sand he'd just been pulled from.   
Tya moved to his side to look at the sand, then up to the statues that lined the walls.   
If the last one had been set to hide a pathway, perhaps these ones were set up for a similar reason. Something was obviously up with them, or else the fronts wouldn't have been so scorched. She bit the inside of her lip for a brief second before looking down to the bomb bag Link still had strapped up to his belt.   
“The fronts are blackened.” She said. Link looked at the statues and nodded.  
“What do you th-think th-that means?”  
“They are set strange. You see.” Tya pointed out, motioning to the strange angle they were sitting at. Leaning forward just a bit, and held up by being wedged into the rock.   
“...Bombs?” Link looked at the statues angle, then down at her and moved a hand to set over the bag. Tya responded by nodding her head and stepping back.   
Link pulled one out and aimed as it ignited. He aimed right for the worn basket on the front as that seemed to be where most of the charring was. He managed to get it just right the first time, and the little explosion was more than enough to budge the statue. It fell forward into the sand and began to sink in just a bit, but as it wasn't something that actually struggled, it didn't sink much. Instead it just sat on top.   
“We should try to do the others before getting on that one. We don't know how well it will hold with our weight.” Link hadn't actually made a move to get on it yet, but Tya felt the need to say it just in case he tried. He simply nodded in return before pulling out another bomb.   
The statues made a zigzag like pattern across the sand, and though it was a bit difficult the farther away they got, using Link's bombs and a bit of Tya's charged fire balls-- they didn't want to waste all the bombs-- they managed to get them all down. They were also a lot more stable than Tya assumed they'd be, holding them both up quite well so they wouldn't sink in.   
They crossed and continued on through a particularly bleak cave. The only thing of interest they found was toward the end-- just another time shift stone that they had to activate. With it activated, they were allowed to use another mine cart to get out of the cave and step foot into a vast, open area filled with sand. They both thought it safe to assume that what they set their gaze upon was the Lanayru Desert.


	22. Chapter 22

The path from the cave went downward, and they were hesitant to continue given their problem with sand before. They decided it was best for Tya to lead as she was the lighter of the two- if anyone was to get stuck in more quick sand, it was better it be the one the other can pull out with little to no effort.

Of all the places they'd been to that point, this had to be the least interesting. Ruins of something lay scattered about in the sand, and crawling atop them allowed them to see the extent of the land they were traveling, but it wasn't a particular exciting sight.

The ruins did have her attention, making her curious as to what could have been there- what kind of beautiful structure used to stand in this desert, but other than that, there was nothing. Sand and things the color of sand, all of which happened to just blend together, making the desert a rather dreadful sight.

Traversing the desert was just as bad as looking at the desert. The only thing mildly interesting that happened about it all was when the pair came across a set of three cages, one of which had a time shift stone, and another with the scraps of metal that suggested a robot was locked away inside at one point in time. The bones of something lay outside the cages, and so upon triggering the time shift stone, they got to meet what had imprisoned the poor little machine to begin with.

It was another of those red pests, though this one was somewhat different than the rest. The previous ones had wielded marred weaponry, but this one had some strange contraption that, upon seeing Link and Tya, lit up with electricity. As they stood up on some of the ruins walls, it was simple enough to take out the one enemy without it getting close, but still, the electricity did concern them a bit. They weren't the least bit prepared to fight something like that at all. It was obvious Link didn't think too much into it though- probably going with a 'we will deal with it when we get to it' solution.

Tya just hoped neither of them would get a nasty shock.

The little prisoner was freed, and in return for it's safety, it decided a little haphazard upgrade to the beetle would be fine repayment. Which it wasn't wrong about- the increased size of the beetles 'pinchers' allowed them to pick up larger, heavier things with it.

The two left the robot be with their newly modified beetle, and they continued on their way. There were multiple bits of dilapidated wall around the sands, all of which had sinksand and statues on and around them, but the pair paid little mind to them. They assumed their destination was the very large and obvious building with a triforce overlooking the land, therefore none of these pieces of wall held what they needed.

The trek became more and more tedious the more they went. They lived rather close to the sun, so their skin didn't burn that easily in the barren lands they walked upon, but that didn't make it any less unpleasant. They may not have been frying, but they were still and uncomfortable. Not to mention it was bright and all around boring.

A couple goddess cubes, bottles of that stamina potion, and enough quicksand to last a life time, and the pair finally reached a semi interesting area.

The ground looked as if it had just fallen in, in this new area. Fallen through, leaving deep chasms which were separated by thin, seemingly unstable paths. Pillars of rock stood here and there, some of which had time shift stones set atop them.

The mine carts placed across the unstable paths and railing that crossed over some of the chasms suggested that this place had fallen long before the robots had found it. They'd built around the fallen land, and now all these conveniently placed rails and time shift stones needed to be used to Link and Tya's benefits. She couldn't quite tell if this was a good thing or something she should be nervous about, but after walking all day in those unbearable sands, a little excitement was due.

"This… doesn't look fun." She muttered, ice blue gaze shifting up to the nearest time shift stone on its 'pedestal' far above them.

"I-I don't see why not." Link flashed a smile back at her before looking toward a broken down mine cart.

"We are going to fall in and die."

"Nahh," He shook his head, stepping forward to peek over the edge. "Th-they s-spent time building all th-this, I d-don't think it's unstable."

"Maybe that's the reason they are all dead. They didn't think it would be unstable either."

"You're just so o-optimistic th-there, Ty."

In all honesty, she didn't think much of the stability of these railways. They were built by other machines, she didn't doubt their stability at all. She had the feeling the work was much more precise than anything a human could have done. But Link was being playful. Unlike he'd been almost all day, he was acting friendly again. And she wanted to play off it, revel in it as much as she could. Just soak it up to remember when his unhappiness returned…

He tapped her wrist lightly, then motioned up to the time shift stone, giving a pretty clear signal that he wanted her to strike it. She raised a hand to do so, but dropped it again soon after and looked to the sky.

"I think… Perhaps we should rest. You haven't slept and I still don't think those stamina potions are going to make up for it." An admission that was made hesitantly and without any eye contact. She didn't know how he'd react, given the pressure the Goddess's Guardian had put on him to continue. It was what had stressed him out all day, she'd been assuming, and therefore such a suggestion may have just been 'out of line'. She had no desire to truly anger him, and for some reason she just couldn't bring herself to force him as she'd done before. If he refused this, though, she may just have to… He needed it, and she couldn't sacrifice their well beings just because that woman thought they didn't make good time.

Link had gone quiet after Tya's suggestion, and he watched her for a second as if he was really considering stopping like she said. That wasn't long lasted though, because he shook his head and started to search his person for the slingshot he had.

"I'm f-fine. We need to go."

"Link, please." She asked once more, softly, reaching out to set a hand over the one he'd grabbed the slingshot with. In response, he just shook his head and slowly drew away from her. He could somehow tell she didn't want to be as stubborn as she had been before, and seemed to think that she wasn't going to at all. For some reason the thought of him being angry with her was nearly terrifying, but not for the reasons they had been before- not out of fear he'd make her go home. She couldn't tell what it was, she just didn't want him to be angry. But even more than that, she didn't want him to be hurt…

She sucked it up. If he was angry, so what? At least he was alright.

She swiftly took the slingshot from his hands, causing him to fumble with a seed he'd pulled from the pouch and drop it on the ground.

"No, you're going to rest."

"We can't, we ha-have to move fast. G-give it back, Tya." He seemed less bent on actually getting back the item, and simply annoyed that he allowed her to get it in the first place. He seemed to know that, after last time, Tya didn't give things back until she got her way.

"We can't move fast if you die from exhaustion. Rest. Now."

"Stop treating me l-like a ch-child."

"Stop acting like a damn child and sleep."

Again, he just watched her for a second before plopping himself roughly on the ground.

He had taken the pack when Tya took the lead, knowing it would be easier to yank her around in the sand without it. It was pretty heavy, and they didn't need it weighing her down any. Not that she was complaining, as stated, it was heavy and she was weak.

When he was on the ground though, Tya moved to pull it off him and drug it to his front where she sat down as well. She sifted through their things until she found food and water, and she set them in his lap.

"It's getting late anyway. I doubt it's a good idea for us to be traveling at night, and I'm sure Zelda and her Guardian agree. They've got to rest at some point as well." Isn't that what he told her when they were in the first temple? Zelda had to sleep some time too.

Link didn't respond, he just spitefully pulled open the wrapper that kept his food and took a bite out of it.

She watched him, sighing heavily at the obvious anger in every move he made.

"Didn't we also agree that we had to take care of ourselves as well as Zelda?"

Again, no response. Just spitefully eating his food.

So she gave up. She stood, grabbing the pack off the ground and unhooking the tightly rolled up tent of theirs. It was simple enough to put together alone, so she did, and laid out both bedrolls in the sand. Night seemed to be falling over them much faster than it had in the previous places, though Tya was rather okay with that. The faster night came and went, the faster they'd be able to keep moving again.

Given the fact that the place was barren, it wasn't going to be easy to come by wood to have a fire. Luckily for them, the place was hot and therefore it didn't really seem like they'd need a fire. The heat was obviously not as intense as it was near the volcano, but she could tell it still bothered Link at times. She was glad they stopped to rest now, even if he was annoyed by it…

By the time she had things set up again, the sky had that bright orange coloring to it that suggested the sun would soon disappear.

She sat in front of Link again, smiling at him and taking one of the canteens of water they'd brought along. She took a drink from it and tilted her head at him.

"Are you still too angry to speak with me?" She asked, swishing the water inside around just a bit before setting the canteen down.

"...No." He said simply, leaning forward a bit and setting his elbows on his knees.

"Can we sleep in that case?" She'd been pretty concerned about Link's well being, to the point she hadn't actually noticed that she hadn't slept either. How she managed to forget that she was tired, she didn't know. But now that she remembered, she just wanted to lie down.

"...Yes." This time said a little more enthusiastically than last, though he still didn't seem all that pleased. He seemed anxious, actually. Understandably so, of course, because so was Tya. But this stuff was necessary, obviously.

Tya scooted back a bit, watching him to see if he'd follow toward the tent. And he did with little reluctance. When he reached his bedroll, he pretty much collapsed onto it, laying there and relaxing for a moment before actually adjusting comfortably into it.

Comfortably, which entailed sitting up again to strip off everything but pants and that long sleeved tan shirt of his.

Tya did the same, sitting straight in her spot to unstrap the curaiss, and then stripping off the chainmail so she was left in only cloth.

It was difficult for her to fall asleep in a place like this, especially as they failed to check the area for enemies. There didn't seem to be danger, but there were plenty of sounds that could suggest otherwise. Simply not knowing made Tya even more uncomfortable.

It wasn't until night really fell that they realized there really was a problem, though…

Without the sun, the desert had no heat. The cold often balanced Tya's temperature, and it was something she'd grown used to with the winds in Skyloft, but it wasn't always comfortable for her. There were days when it was, but that day wasn't one of them. It seemed to be even less comfortable for her normal-temperatured companion.

When it got to be too cold, not only did he wake up from the sleep he'd so quickly fallen into, he curled up as small as he could trying to calm his own shivering.

Tya hadn't started to shiver, but the feeling of her temperature dropping nearly made her sick. Skyloft rarely got that cold, given its position to the sun… As stated, there were cool winds, but that didn't mean the temperature got that low.

Peeking out from his bedroll, Link looked Tya over.

"You're not c-cold?" He asked, muffled by fabric he held up to his face.

"I am. But I'm not shivering to show it."

"...Can I get cl-closer to you?"

Tya shifted so she could extend her arms out toward him, and he very quickly took that as a positive response and shuffled over to her, dragging his bedroll across the ground to stay in it. He collapsed once again into her arms and cuddled to her chest, trying his best to siphon away her warmth.

One arm closed around him, and the other rose to try and ignite a flame. It took a couple tries with her concentration skewed and the fact that she was also cold. But she soon held a flickering flame over both of them.

When Link fell asleep again, she let the fire in her hand die, and set her other arm around him as well. Allowing the heat required for her magic to course through her warmed her back up a little, and if he could fall asleep that meant he was no longer freezing.

She didn't quite know why, but she was having trouble falling asleep… She was exhausted, but at the same time she was anxious. There were too many reasons why, to place which one was the real problem. Little things just piling up.

She pulled Link closer and hid her face in his hair. It should have bothered her, really, given the way both of them had been sweating all day. He smelled like the outdoors mixed with sweat, and it wasn't something she really enjoyed, but he was comforting. Both arms kept tightly around him and her face hidden against him, it seemed to alert him something wasn't right. Not enough that he fully woke up, he just adjusted for a brief second, nuzzling closer and setting an arm around her waist.

The gesture didn't pull her out of her thoughts like she would have liked it to… It helped. It made her feel safer and more wanted, but there were still other things. The time being one. The time, and whether or not Link was going to push himself to the point he hurt himself or even killed himself. She couldn't help but worry about so many things and it was all really numbing… What happened to her confidence? Why did it have to leave? Why couldn't she just stay happy?

Throughout the night, she fell asleep only to be woken up again by borderline nightmares.

All those worries of the undead creatures, the monsters in general, Link killing himself unintentionally, Zelda being taken by Ghirahim, Ghirahim in general- they caught up and they stayed. They tormented her to the point she just… stopped.

Link woke up the next morning as the sun was rising and heat was starting to return to the land. But Tya had already been awake for some time. An hour or so which she just spent laying there. Not wanting to move, not wanting to be there, wanting to go home, but knowing she didn't have the energy to do so or even voice that she wanted it. Why did it matter anyway?

He pulled himself out of her arms and smiled up at her, making a small joke about how she was like his own personal heater. And she smiled in return to it, though she wasn't quite sure it was genuine. It was done instinctively instead of out of amusement.

He crawled out of the tent and went right for the pack, getting food and water for himself. He offered some to Ty, which she refused.

He asked if she was okay and instinctively she said yes, but was she? She couldn't tell. He said they should get going and she agreed despite not actually wanting to move.

And it took her a while to even sit up in her spot.

"Are you al-alright?" Link had watched her move, adjust, and just stare.

"I just… don't feel very good." She replied quietly and dully, closing her eyes for a second before putting on a smile and dragging herself out of the tent.

She felt so weak for some reason… Just standing there was so difficult. She wanted to go lie back down.

"Oh, wha-what's wrong?" He crawled out with her, standing at her side before setting a hand against her face.

She didn't know what the gesture was for, but regardless she leaned into his touch and sighed heavily.

"I didn't sleep well." She responded slowly, closing her eyes and just resting in the hand he'd set there.

"Ah, okay. Th-that kinda n-not feel good. I was tr-trying to see if you were si-sick- like fever. But I realize th-that's a ba-bad idea." He chuckled and watched her leaning on him for a second before tilting his head and smiling. It wasn't until she opened her eyes that she noticed this though, and she immediately drew back out of embarrassment. When Link retracted his hand, it became very obvious very quickly that neither of them really knew what to say, and instead of trying they just turned their focus to the layout before them.


	23. Chapter 23

The path ahead of them was actually much easier to uncover than Tya expected it to be. It really only required hitting two timeshift stones, one of which was barely visible in an ancient, hollowed out tree in the middle of the gorge. Link used the beetle to get it. Other than that, the two made a safe trek across to the other side.

Not that Tya was actually any use in getting there. In her current state, the mage was pretty much dead weight, leaving Link to do everything. She had briefly thought about changing it and doing something, but it didn't get the chance to stick around long before guilt and self loathing set in. The only thing she made herself good for at that point was carrying the pack.

She wasn't able to focus on what they were doing, even if she had the energy to help the situation. They'd come across Gorko at what looked to be the entrance of the place they needed to go-- At least it was. It was blocked off by rubble now. He'd said something about Zelda and The Guardian going through and blocking the path behind them, but when that happened, Tya wasn't sure.

She was out of it, but she was almost positive it wasn't to the point that she wouldn't hear an explosion.

The conversation between Link and Gorko just didn't stay with Tya at all. She couldn't remember a word he said, mainly because she just couldn't manage to pay attention as he was talking. Not that she really cared.

The only thing she did care about was how much she wanted to rest.

She heard Link say something about having to find another way around and that actually almost made her cry. She just wanted to rest, and now this? Now she had to go find a new path Goddess knows how far away to get into this place she didn't even want to be in, why couldn't she just go home? She just wanted to go be useless away from the view of people.

She was caught in her thoughts, but Link was continuing on, and she just instinctively followed. Link triggered another time shift stone after he examined the area. He assumed there would be enemies given the fact that there were remains of two of the red pests, and of one of the robots.

When they triggered it, the little robot immediately called out for help, which made it clear someone else was in the area. The red pests directed the attention back to Link and Tya.

The two of them went straight for Link at first, as he was in front, but when they noticed the mage one made a motion that the other obeyed. It started toward Tya.

Watching the other come after her seemed… Slow. She didn't know why, but she felt like she had too much time, all of which she did nothing with. It didn't seem like it was happening, or if it was, like it mattered. So it would killer her. What was the problem there? She wouldn't have to think anymore.

It just came at her, and she allowed it. Like she was just going to let it strike her without an ounce of fear.

It took a strange yet obviously pained sound from Link to pull her back to reality enough to react to what was happening. Eyes flickered from the hesitantly approaching enemy to the one that held it's weapon up over Link.

Her companion had tensed entirely, and his sword now lay on the ground. He seemed to have trouble moving, only releasing pained and labored breaths when he got to.

Panic set in almost immediately, knowing Link had most definitely been hurt.

The fire in her hands ignited out of fear, and all she could do was throw an unruly flame outward toward the enemies. It missed, but managed to grab both of their attentions. Again, she summoned her fire to cast another to no avail. This time the fire just spilled over onto the ground, catching up the grass and spreading in front of her. It created somewhat of a wall, drawing in the two enemies attentions even more as she now became the more obvious threat.

What was she supposed to do?

She couldn't think.

Link wasn't getting his sword-- why? She'd distracted them, why wasn't he going for it?

The panic only worsened, and just instinctively, both hands flew out in front of her as if to signal for the two foes to stop.

And they did.

But not by will.

Her action was like a signal to her fire and it poured forward like a wave toward the two enemies and Link, which made that panic so much worse.

Immediately she shook her head and swung her hands out to either side of her. The flames separated just before hitting her companion but they still somehow engulfed the enemies.

The flames that took their foes up, fell again in seconds, and the charred bodies collapsed in their spots. For a second, Tya stood there, watching everything and holding her breath though she wasn't entirely sure why. It took her a second to be able to actually push any air out, and the moment she did her mind seemed to actually function again.

She hurried to Link, getting to her knees in front of him and going to touch him but freezing.

“What...” She looked him over, completely unsure of what to do or what even happened.

Link had briefly flinched away when he saw her reach out, but he soon realized it was safe and he stopped.

“Th-that thing shocked m-me.” He borderline whined, breathlessly and hopelessly, like he didn't know what to do either. Which of course made Tya all the more nervous. “I-It hit Fi-- I need to make sure she's okay.”

She hesitated for a minute before nodding her head and scooting toward the sword a few feet away. She didn't know if she should touch it lest she get shocked too, but she sucked it up quickly and grabbed it. It felt hot, but that was all. Obviously, that didn't bother Tya at all… She set it down in the sand in front of Link and immediately went to take his injured side.

The sword spirit was summoned when Link used his uninjured hand to touch the blade.

What exactly happened between Fi and Link, Tya couldn't really tell. As the little bit of adrenaline wore off, her ability to focus went with it, but she was doing her best to focus on Link's arm. One was now scarred from being hit in Eldin, and the other.. Well she hadn't seen the damage yet. She was afraid that doing anything would hurt him.

He turned his hand over, wincing at the pain brought by moving it even slightly. The inside of it was badly burned, as was the cloth of his gloves. The seared cotton was tinted with blood now. She bit the inside of her lip and shook her head before looking up at him. He had his attention on her once again, Fi just hovering next to them and watching. She appeared to be okay, but Tya wasn't exactly sure how to tell otherwise. Fi's expression never really changed.

“Can I take off the gauntlet?” Tya lightly touched the leather, causing him to flinch once again. She drew back, brows furrowing lightly.

“M-My arm burns. Be c-careful?” He closed his eyes then, facing the ground as if not being able to see it happen would ease the pain.

Tya slowly began to tug off the leather, watching as Link tensed. She could see that he was holding his breath, likely because he was in pain… She hated this. And this had to be her fault, she could have helped if she wasn't just… doing nothing. She could have prevented this…

She pulled the gauntlet off carefully, lifting the leather off the part of his arm that seemed to be the most injured.

Once it was off, she had to gently roll up his sleeve so his skin was uncovered and much to her surprise, open wounds was not what she found.

Raised, white marks shot up his arm. It all originated from the inside of his hand and spread up most of his forearm in a fashion that resembled lightning.

Once again, the mage hesitated, this time because she needed a second to think. All of her thoughts were making it borderline impossible to figure out what really needed to happen here. That seemed to be the only active thing about her at that moment...

Go the fuck home Find the pack He's better off with me gone He needs the healing potion This wouldn't have happened if I wasn't lazy It should be bandaged up so his gauntlets don't irritate it This should have been me.

Over and over, she told herself how useless she was, how this was her fault, how she didn't belong there, how she was burdensome, and mixed in these thoughts, desperately trying to talk over it all, was what needed to be done.

She closed her eyes tightly for a second, quietly muttering stop under her breath before going to slip the pack off her shoulders. Reopening them, she forced herself to concentrate the best she could. Pushing the thoughts aside was barely effective because they were still there, still distorting what was actually important. They managed to make her forget multiple times what she needed as she pulled out the few supplies.

She handed over the jar in which the last half of a healing potion was kept, and Link anchored it between his legs to uncork it. A move which her mind immediately insulted her for as she realized she should have done that before handing it to him. How stupid can I be?

She flashed a small smile in hopes to offer comfort, though she didn't know if it worked at all. She didn't know if she even managed to smile, or if she just thought she might have.

Link took a sizable swig of the potion before dumping a couple drops directly onto the wound.

“Does that help?” She asked quietly, leaning to look at the wound as he'd brought it closer to himself. He shook his head before starting to shake his hand like he was trying to get it off.

“No, st-stings.” He kind of whimpered before letting out a little bit of a laugh. “I th-thought it might help some, getting it th-there quicker and all.” He finished his sentence off with a bit of a hiss.

Tya's brow furrowed a bit more and despite her concern she couldn't help but chuckle a little, mainly because Link seemed to be trying to laugh it off. She pursed her lips then, pausing before grabbing at the bandages she'd pulled out. She held them up, and Link responded by giving her his hand. She was careful with his arm, knowing that the streaks up it had to be painful to the touch. They looked like burns that had already begun to blister… She couldn't imagine how that must feel, but despite his flinching and obvious pain, he continued to try and laugh about it.

He got patched up, and very nearly made the mistake of grabbing his sword-- which Fi had returned to-- with his dominant hand. Luckily he stopped himself before such a mistake was made, and he had to rather awkwardly put it away with his uninjured hand.

Tya would have helped, but Link didn't ask and her mind wandered elsewhere…

Once again to all the intrusive thoughts that she couldn't get to be quiet.

 

Link took over once again, leading the exploration. He needed to hunt down the little robot that had taken cover at some point during the fight-- they discovered it had hidden almost completely beneath the minecart and was just waiting.

Yet another conversation that was completely lost on Tya.

The one thing that stuck to her was the fact that apparently, somewhere, there was another entrance into the 'Temple of Time', as it seemed to be called.

She also watched as the robot took Link's map and began to scribble on it, because apparently it was incorrect.

More time shift stones and rides in mine carts only to come out into an area with more sand. Tya wasn't really sure what she expected out of that though. This was a desert after all.

And once again, another dreadful trek through the sands, though this time it was much much worse. This time, in the lakes of sinksand, they had to find specific little paths that had long ago been engulfed, and walk specifically across those. Meaning they had to trudge through the thick, nearly unmovable sands to get to a specific piece of ruined wall-- one which they only stopped at because a worn device stood atop it as well as a time shift stone.

Luckily for them, it turned out to that was just where they needed to be.

“Luckily” being a relative term, given the fact that they were just told they needed to travel through the sand more to find three more devices to activate this thing that would then open, not the Temple of Time, but a separate temple which they'd need to go through in order to get to there.

All throughout this, Tya lagged behind Link. She knew he knew something was wrong. He asked a couple of times, but she ended up actually getting annoyed by it, so he begrudgingly stopped.

She'd assumed the rest of their journey was going to be quiet, and hopefully quick so she could finally stop, but not long after finding the second node they needed to activate, something went wrong.

It had been a few hours since Link had been struck and since he'd drank the healing potion. In fact Tya was so absorbed in her own self loathing and inability to function that she'd pretty much forgotten he'd been really hurt. Regardless, it had been a few hours, so it seemed they both assumed it to pretty much be over and done with.

But evidently that wasn't the case.

It started with a little hiss, and Link suddenly raising his injured arm so he could tightly grasp it. From there it only elevated.

A pained whimper escaped him next, and he started to try and remove the gauntlet he had on.

“What's wrong?” Though she didn't mean to, her tone seemed a bit exasperated. Not because of him particularly, but because of course there would be yet another thing to get in the way of her getting to hide.

“I-I...” Link looked up at her for a second, stepping back and tossing the inside-out gauntlet on the ground at their feet. The ground which luckily wasn't sand at that moment, but instead thick, solid land. “It's f-fine.”

A very simple, obvious lie, but honestly what was he to do?

There was a brief spike of absolute annoyance until Tya realized why he said that. Realized that she made him say that because she was being… Well, a huge bitch.

“Link, lemme loo-” As she spoke she stepped forward to him only to have him step back and draw his arm away. Shortly after, he released another pained sound as he started on removing the bandages.

She stayed quiet then.

She just listened and watched as he pulled the bandages and looked at the white streaks along his arm. It appeared the open wound had almost completely healed up with thin, easily breakable scar tissue. Not a big problem as this desert seemed to be relatively devoid of enemies-- not that much could really live there, unless it was the red pests that lived in the past. But the tissue would have time to keep recovering so long as they kept relatively calm with their activity. It was a lot of walking, but there was no battle yet.

But the streaks up his arm was what was bothering him. She couldn't quite tell why, not with him turned away and disallowing her to help. But it was obviously causing him a lot of pain, and continued to do so. All he was able to really do was hold it and conceal all pained cries.

And she couldn't handle it. It was torturous, really, watching him stand there in pain but not being allowed to help because she'd fucked up. Why was she doing this, hadn't she learned that asking for help was okay? That it was better for her than sitting around and being bitter? Why was she treating Link of all people like this? Just because she didn't feel alright didn't mean she had any right to mistreat him.

Tya didn't realize she'd gotten absorbed in her thoughts until she noticed he'd sat on the ground at some point, holding his arm to his chest and just… Crying. There she was, being selfish again. He was hurting again and she was just standing there thinking about herself.

She slid the pack off her shoulders, knelt on the ground and pulled his gauntlet over so it wouldn't get lost.

He didn't acknowledge her. In fact he looked ashamed and like he wished she'd go away.

A look which made her want to. So badly. But she didn't, she had to make it up to him some how. There was no excuse to treat him that way and there was no excuse to leave him there and in pain.

She very lightly took his uninjured hand, tugging it away from his injuries. He'd been holding so tight, the skin on both his arm and his knuckles paled greatly. When she got a look at his arm, she wasn't surprised by it either.

The streaks still remained, but now they were all dark pink lines that were soaked by the plasma meant to be inside blisters, and poorly covered by flaps of skin that hadn't dried out and died.

No, the white streaks were burn blisters that had all ruptured whilst the potion made it's way through to put new skin underneath, the thin skin that was over the blisters was still live and could not be painlessly pulled off, so his arm was just… Destroyed.

The healing potion had done this, how was she supposed to help now?

“I don't know what to do...” She admitted quietly, looking up only to see his pained expression. His only response was to shake his head and take hold of his arm again, making it clear he didn't either. All she could do was move a little closer and very gently set an arm around his waist. She knew her being there was no longer a comfort to him, but maybe they could both just pretend for a few minutes...


	24. Chapter 24

It took a while for his pain to subside, and while they waited for it to become bearable they just sat there in silence. Tya didn't want to speak out of fear that she'd make even more of a mess of the situation, and she could only assume Link just wanted nothing to do with her. And if that was the case, she wouldn't blame him. She didn't even want anything to do with her.  
The silence wasn't broken when he felt he was able to move on either. He just sniffled, looked at her, then got to his feet. As he walked, he very loosely put more bandages over his arm, then put on his gauntlet.  
Tya wanted to help, she really did. She asked if she could, but he only told her he was fine and he could handle it. So she stopped asking…  
For a couple hours, they traveled in silence. They finished finding the mechanisms they needed to trigger to continue, and this time Tya pretty much forced herself to be more aware. She forced herself to watch every movement Link made so she could help when it was needed.  
Which she found to be when he was turning the wheel like device that opened the path to where they needed to go. His blade was used for it, and they turned it to face the three mechanisms they'd spent the day finding.  
After interesting theatrics which sent a heavy gust of sand flying over them as a building rose from the sand, Link pulled his blade back and Tya helped him sheath it.  
That was when he finally spoke to her again.  
“You d-don't have to help, Tya...” He faced in her direction, but his gaze was on the ground.  
“I didn't mean to make it seem like I didn't want to.” She actually answered too quickly. She knew why he was saying that, because she'd put him under the impression that it was true. Because she'd been a horrible friend to him all day and thought only of herself. And she had to literally force herself to do otherwise.  
Why was she allowed to associate with other people? She shouldn't be.  
“If you di-didn't want to make i-it seem like th-that, why did you?”  
She paused again, looking at the ground beneath them. What an unfair question… She hadn't meant to make it seem like this, she just told him that. It was accidental… But regardless, the actions were still hers to take responsibility for, whether it was on purpose or not.  
“I didn't do it on purpose… I just… don't feel all that great today. I just really want to rest, and I'm having a lot of trouble focusing. I didn't mean to come off rudely, or as if you were bothering me. You're not. I want to help you.”  
Her explanation made him go silent, and he seemed to think it over before turning away.  
“Let's keep going...”

 

The pair descended yet another particularly large staircase.  
The smell of must and age hit them first, and the further down they went the more the heat of the desert faded behind them, leaving just the coolness one could expect from a building that had been secured beneath the land for ages. It was probably nice to Link to cool off, but Tya preferred the warmth of the desert above…  
Link didn't speak to her, and she didn't speak to him. As much as she wanted to, she kept quiet, knowing it was a bad idea to do anything else.

The entrance room was simple enough to handle. There were bits of sinksand, but getting across was easier now that they knew how to deal with it. Only one crossed to get to a lever that was needed to pull up a gate on the door.  
The next room was only a crossroads with another of those monsters with multiple heads. Again, another thing they knew how to deal with so it was dispatched easily and quickly.  
The crossroads was also not particularly difficult. There were three doors, two of which were blocked off, one by a gate and the other by chains. The third lay directly before them, and while it was open, the ledge it was on was too tall to access. But of course, with two people, it was much easier.  
Link lifted Tya up and she helped him crawl up as well, all while being wary of his arm, so they were able to go through the door.

This time, they entered a much larger room. The areas to their left and ahead of them were both blocked by ancient gates that they couldn't get to budge. The right side was where they were forced to retreat, as all that sat there were wooden crates. Tya got rid of them, meaning they could effectively cross and climb the ladders provided.  
All they were able to get to, however, was a chest which contained a key. Not that it was a problem, exactly, as they then just backtracked to the crossroads and were able to get through the chained door.  
The room behind the chains was just as dull as the rest of the place seemed to be.  
There were paths and broken conveyor belts over seas of sink sand. Luckily though, from what they could see, they didn't exactly need to cross any of the sink sand itself. Along with that, there was also quite a bit of rubble, which Tya guessed was from old, broken machinery.  
The only thing that really stood out in the room were strange fish like creatures floating about. Tya dispatched them easily only to earn an unexpected explosion. Link seemed particularly amused by that fact, but they kept moving.  
They crossed to a belt, only to be met with a dead end on the other side. Fortunately for them, it seemed a good bit of… Something had grown up the side they apparently needed to go up. She couldn't quite tell if they were vines, they were a dulled tan color. If they were, they seemed to have died long ago. They seemed thick enough though, that it would support their weight.

Given the fact that they had done this before, Tya assumed it would be simple enough to climb up them and do as they needed to, but evidently she was wrong. She figured that since she'd been lifted a bit before and they'd gone up a ladder, it wouldn't be overly difficult for Link to climb-- his arm wasn't so bad that he couldn't put weight on it. But he pulled himself up and crawled up a little only to let out a quiet cry and lose his grip. It seemed as if it was only on one side, his injury, and yet the pain urged him to fall. He landed on his feet, but his knees buckled, and he immediately moved to grasp his previously injured arm.

Tya seemed to freeze up a little at first, taking a moment to comprehend what happened. Her mind was working so slowly with the influx of unwanted thoughts…  
When she caught on though, she moved to him and knelt at his side, a hand resting on his back. It wasn't until after she did this that she realized he had been angry with her-- she shouldn't be near him. It wouldn't be what he wanted. She quickly drew her hand back, hesitating a little before her fingers curled into a fist.  
He looked at her, his mouth open just slightly like he was about to speak, but he didn't. He just brought his arm to his chest and closed his eyes…

For a moment, the mage watched him, hands still lightly hovering over him where she'd had him before. But it wasn't right. He was in pain. Not only was it a normal instinct to help someone in need, but it was Link. He was important.  
She shook her head a little, setting her hand on his back again. She finally just moved to rest her head against his shoulder.  
“Link, I'm so sorry...” She said quietly, hiding her face against him and setting a hand gently against his arm. He didn't respond verbally, but he did rest his head against hers after flinching at the touch near his injury. He shakily moved a couple of fingers on his uninjured hand to wrap around hers. “You are important to me. I know casting you off and acting like you're burdensome is unacceptable and I'm sorry. Please let me make it up to you.”  
“Just pl-please help. E-everything else is str-stressful en-enough. I need help.”  
She pulled back, nodding her head a bit and sniffling. She hadn't realized how close to tears she was, until then, but she was happy to notice so she could keep them back. “Of course I'll help. I'll do anything you need... What happened?”  
“I th-think it just… Too much s-strain on it.”  
Tya nodded once more, looking up to the wall they were meant to climb.  
“I will go up alone, if you'd rather stay back here?”

For a moment Link seemed to not like the idea, but after a moment he gave a begrudging nod. The hand Tya had set on his back moved to wrap around him gently, and she gave him a small squeeze before parting from him and starting toward the wall.  
Given her lack of upper body strength, it was a difficult task to handle, but she managed. It seemed all this was really allowing her to get stronger, and while she was proud of herself for preforming such a task when she felt horrible, she carried on.  
Past that, was another ladder amidst quite a bit of mechanical rubble. She paid little mind to the debris before climbing up the ladder-- a much easier task. On the ledge she aimed for, was a button, which she was hesitant to step on. She didn't know what it went to, or what it could possibly do, but evidently it was their next move as nothing else could really be reached.  
She took a breath before taking a step onto it and looking around. She could hear the sliding, crackling sound of something opening, yet she couldn't tell what it was. She stepped off the button, moving to the edge to see if Link was looking as well, but the moment her weight was lifted, whatever had opened slam shut again.  
It took the pair a minute to figure out what it was that was opening and closing, but soon enough they spotted a little cage on the ceiling which a time shift stone was held in. Link had begun to use the beetle to hit it, but they both immediately realized how bad an idea that was. He was standing on an ancient conveyor belt-- going back into time would likely start the machinery up again like it had all the other times.  
He moved back to the path they'd come from before using the beetle to trigger the stone.

Just as they expected, everything in the room started up again.


	25. Chapter 25

It all seemed relatively harmless now that it was lively again. The conveyor belts, as expected, were going rather quickly, covered in strange stones that Tya didn't really care to figure out. The only thing that caught her eye was the strange statues that oscillated as if keeping watch.

On the other end of the conveyor belt, she could see Link waiting and watching her.

From her spot, she could see the majority of the room. There were three belts- one nearest her, which had one of those strange statues on either side, and evidently a ladder on the side closest to her. That would be convenient, so she didn't have to fall down the belt in order to get back to Link, though crossing the belt in itself would be difficult. It was going the way opposite of the one she needed to go.

On either end of all the belts was a barrier of what appeared to be electricity. She'd need to steer clear of that lest she get a nasty shock like Link.

She could see on the far side, there were stairs to the other belt, which would be good since Link apparently wasn't able to climb much.

Near the middle of the room, directly in her view, she could see what appeared to be a lever. She couldn't quite tell what it went to, but she would guess that it was necessary.

The far side of the room, where Link stood, there was another ledge, on which there was an area blocked off by a gate. She'd assumed that's where they needed to go. She couldn't see past it very well, but she could see that it didn't appear to have a ladder on this side. There was no visible way to get up to it as it was, meaning they were either supposed to make one, or it wasn't where they needed to be.

She moved to the edge of the platform with the switch so she could look down. Across the first belt, there seemed to be another ladder, one which would let her on a path to the lever she likely needed to pull.

She'd noticed those piles of rubble were up and running once again, and because of that she was wary of actually getting down. The way they moved is what concerned her—again, it was as if they were on guard. She worried they'd alert something terrible and have it attack her if they caught sight of her.

They had an odd glowing side, which she assumed to be the front. That made sense to her, the lit up side would be the side to pay attention to. So she'd need to avoid or destroy that…

Avoid. Her aim wasn't good enough to destroy.

But there were two. How was she supposed to avoid one without running into the other?

Maybe if she wasn't so useless she'd be able to do this well, or even get rid of those things.

No, focus.

She watched the way they moved, realizing if she followed one, she'd run directly into the apparent gaze of the second. The only way to get across would be to destroy them, especially with the belt going so fast between them. She risked getting caught in their sight, falling, or getting pushed into the electric barrier.

Examining this further, she seemed to realize something.

Brow furrowed, and she looked around, noticing there was no way for Link to get to her when she got to the door on the other side. The ledge on which it sat was much too high for him to climb up, not to mention climbing already seemed to be a problem. She certainly wouldn't be able to pull him up, she could barely pull herself up.

She bit down on the inside of her lip, trying her best to figure out a way to make it work, but to no avail.

When she realized that, she backed away from the edge she'd climbed up to get there, and moved to the one that faced Link.

"Link—" She called, only to realize there wasn't much reason. His attention had been either on her or his arm the entire time. "We need to turn it off." For a moment he seemed confused, and she couldn't tell whether that was due to the noise obscuring what she was saying, or the nature of what she said. But he nodded, and she realized he just didn't really realize what she had, probably because the entire room wasn't at all visible to him from his position.

The mage stepped back onto the button, opening the cage once more, and Link used the beetle to switch the stone again.

The room calmed again, sand and dust moving to drape over all the broken down equipment, and she sighed, taking a look at it all again.

Tya made her way down and over to the still belt, and watched as Link hesitantly crossed.

"What's wr-wrong?"

"I don't think there's a way for you to come across to the door we need to go to, and I don't know what to do about these odd statue things." She motioned to the broken bits on either side of her. "They seem as if they are watching for something."

Link drew back a bit then, looking around the room and realizing Tya seemed to be right about there not being a path across.

"I think you've got to climb up…" Just saying that made her feel guilty. She should have done better, she should be stronger, something to help him up so he didn't have to be in pain.

He let out a quiet sigh, looking at his arm once more before nodding.

She got a bit closer to the edge, brushing a stray piece of golden hair back into the bun.

"Maybe I can help so there's less pressure on your arm."

"How? You-You need both a-arms to climb too."

What a stupid idea. A stupid suggestion. How could she be of assistance to him?

She had to think, that's how.

"If you have something to lean back against, you shouldn't fall, right?" She moved closer to the edge as if she was preparing to get down. She slipped the pack off her shoulders, thinking over how exactly she could manage to keep him up. It was a short climb, so it shouldn't have been overly difficult…

Link simply nodded in response, and Tya then started down the vines. When she got down, she got behind him and nudged him toward the vines.

"You'll have to stay close to the wall, but you will be able to lean back against me."

"And y-you'll be able to st-stay up?"

"If I'm holding onto it, it'll be easier, will it not? Not to mention it'll only be for a few seconds at a time."

Link paused as if he was trying to make sense of that, but then after a second he nodded his head. He still seemed a bit cautious, and as if he didn't quite know how it would end, but it was worth a try at least.

He moved to the vines, his uninured hand taking a firm hold of them. He looked back toward Tya, who just offered a smile as comfort.

He remained close to the wall, which allowed Tya to grab a hold of the vines on either side of him. He pulled himself up, finding a secure place for his feet, and Tya waited for him to move up a bit so she could follow.

It took a second, and probably looked wonderfully awkward the entire time they were doing it, but they managed to get to the top.

Crawling up, Tya immediately went to his front and pointed to his arm. He looked at it then smiled, silently letting her know it was fine.

"So these odd statues. I don't know what to do about them. But you can make it up a ladder, right?"

He had before, so both of them were relatively sure he could again.

Once again, the switch was triggered and the two looked around to figure out what needed to be done. Without having to find a way to get Link to her, everything seemed much easier.

Somehow, he was able to put together that someone needed to slash through the glowing blue middle of the statues and then thrust his sword into the lit up front. How exactly he thought of that, Tya wasn't sure, she was just glad the things were out of the way without causing any harm that she could see.

They had to cross the moving belt, which, needless to say, made them both a little nervous. There was a lot of hesitation before either of them went across, because they knew stepping on it to test it was going to be a bad idea. They had to just go and they had to do it whilst avoiding the second statue.

Down a ladder, and across another belt, they got up to the lever they needed to pull only to find that the gate they opened did not have a door behind it. Instead, there was just a small chest. It was relatively disappointing, but at least they got something out of it.

They had to really cross a belt this time—Run down an active conveyor belt going in the opposite direction while avoiding the strange rocks on it.

It was difficult for them both, and hell on Link's lungs, but they got across.

The chest they uncovered held a red rupee. For all the trouble they went through to get it, she wished it would have been a little more, but she supposed it would do.

Fortunately there were stairs for them this time, leading up to the last remaining belt. They could see clearly the lever they needed and the door that it would open.

They crossed the belt, pulled the lever, then road back, and prepared to jump before hitting the barrier of electricity that awaited them should they be too slow.

The door was open, and they were allowed into the next room.

It had an odd set up. There were multiple large blocks lining the floor, and paths in between them. Some of which were blocked off by little metal strips, lined with holes. She couldn't tell what they did from where they were, but she had no desire to find out. Everything seemed dangerous, and though she was actively doing things, she was still much too tired to be curious.

They had to jump across the blocks to get to the other side, where they found a chest that contained yet another strange object. Fortunately, it came with instructions.

They were to pull a lever, and it would let out a heavy gust of wind that would do what wind often did—blow things away.

Quite useful, because many of those gross little bug like creatures awaited them on the boxes they needed to cross, and a mound of sand blocked the next door.

The door took them back to a room they'd already seen. It seemed to be the main hub right after the crossroads. But they still couldn't find anything they could do in that room, even with the new item they acquired—called "Gust Bellows".

They returned to the crossroads and used the bellows to unbury a box that they could place on top of a switch. The switch opened a gate to the next door, and they carried on.

The room they entered was annoying.

It was almost completely made up of sinksand, save for a couple broken platforms here and there. Those were what helped them survived, because by the time they reached each one they were too exhausted to continue. They had to break at each one, and kill more of those ugly bugs.

When they reached the other side, they found a gate much like the one in the main hub. It wouldn't budge.

But there was another platform remaining there, which they begrudgingly crossed the sands to explore.

The bellows uncovered a time shift stone, which as usual, lit up the room. Those broken platforms sat along rails, though at first they couldn't figure out how to move them. They soon discovered the little propellers on the top, and used the bellows to move them along.

The gate could be opened much easier with the times shifted, especially when they noticed a propeller on that as well.

There was another statue which Link brought down, though this one was a bit more difficult. It was taller than the last two, and they discovered that it did not call anything terrible to get them, but instead it shot out bouts of electricity. Fortunately, neither were hit this time.

After the statue, there was a strange orb like thing that shot out flaming rocks it seemed, but Tya was able to shoot it down in only a couple tries.

More platforms moved by the bellows, statues, and gated doors that they had to open led them to a room that panicked Tya for a brief moment.

She hadn't thought about those skeletal monstrosities in a couple days, but the moment those bars slammed down behind her, the fear came back as if it were fresh. Fortunately, the enemy was easy to see. It was simply those three headed creatures.

Two of them. Tya handled one while Link handled the other. Or that was the plan, but it was difficult to take out all three heads at the same time with a fire ball. She more or less distracted it while Link killed the other one.

With the threat dispatched, they got to look around the room. Link easily caught on to what needed to be done next, but Tya was distracted by a much larger pile of rubble and the fact that the door had not yet opened.

It seemed to lie in front of another door, meaning they couldn't get to it. She could only assume that they'd find a time shift stone somewhere in the room, and that mess would reconstruct itself.

Sure enough, they did.

While Tya was distracted by what that mess could be, Link had been moving a large block around to allow them to get up on a ledge.

On the ledge, they found another gate blocking a chest and a good bit of sand.

They used the gust bellows to get rid of the sand, uncovering a stone just as she'd suspected.

They couldn't open the gate yet, but they could shoot the stone with the slingshot.

When the times changed, Tya moved to the edge they'd just climbed up and looked down at the pile of rubble to see what it had become.

It was another statue, or machine perhaps. But it was incredibly unsettling to look at.

It had a large smile and wide, glowing eyes as well as a propeller on its head and spikes around its bottom.

Despite the unease, they moved down back onto the floor it was on.

The floor seemed to mark the distance the thing would notice you at, because the moment they stepped into it, the thing tilted toward them.

Given its lack of limbs, Tya assumed it was immobile, but she was wrong. After noticing them, it began to leap toward them.

While Tya was being distracted by it's human-like appearance, Link was quickly figuring out what needed to be done to it. The propeller on its head suggested the bellows, so he used them. This caused that smile to open up, uncovering human like teeth and a gem.

After being opened so much, it stopped, and the light in its eyes died.

Link slowly handed the bellows to Tya, wary of whether or not the thing was disabled. He was going to go for the gem, but before he could get too close, the mouth slammed shut again and the eyes lit up. It immediately began to leap toward them again.

This time Tya used the bellows to disable it, and Link quickly went for the gem, opting to just hit the thing instead of grab it. It seemed to work, but only for that side.

The mouth fell shut again, and it turned around then. This side had a much less amused expression, which didn't make her any less uncomfortable.

Again, the propeller was raised, and Link thrusted the sword into the gem in its mouth. It seemed to malfunction then, before shutting down entirely.

Both of them froze for a moment, trying to see whether or not it would pick up again. Luckily for them, it didn't

The door it stood in front of was now uncovered, and judging by the sounds, the gate up top had also opened.

The chest behind it held a map, which they decided to look at in the next room.

The door led to the same place all the others had. The main hub room after the crossroads.

This time though, they were on a different side of one of the gates they couldn't move.

There was a button they used to open the gate, meaning they could now access it from the parts they'd been to previously. But they didn't move forward.

The side they were on had quite a bit of potential, and quite a bit of sinksand.

They decided they could take a small break to look over the map they'd found, not to mention eat and drink.


	26. Chapter 26

They took a seat on the dusty ground, and Link pulled out the map.

"How does your arm feel?" Tya asked, watching the injured one as he held the map.

"S-Sore, but it's not so ba-bad now. H-how do you feel?"

She paused, thinking for a second on that. The obstacles had provided a nice distraction from the majority of her invasive thoughts, but her body still felt weak and she still felt tired.

"Tired, but it's not so bad now."

He smiled at that, shaking his head in response only because he found it silly that she copied him.

Tya readjusted a bit, pulling the pack over to her and pulling out some food and water. She handed some over to Link, and kept some for herself. As she did, she quietly asked "So you're not still upset with me at all?"

He lowered the map when he was being handed stuff, and looked at her when she spoke. He seemed a bit confused by the question, almost like he'd forgotten ever being upset with her in the first place. When he remembered, he just smiled softly and shook his head.

"Nah, I-I'm not." He crossed his legs and set the map between them so he could unscrew the top to a canteen. He took a sip of it then set it down and looked at her again. "Wh-What's wrong anyway? You kee-keep saying you don't f-feel good, but…?" He trailed off to imply that he wanted more than just that.

"Well as I told you, I want to rest, and I'm having trouble focusing. I know I can't rest though." Zelda had told her time and time again, a simple thing that often annoyed her to no end. But it was something that helped, surprisingly enough.

She only said 'Do it anyway'.

For most, such a thing wouldn't work. It would only make them feel worse, and it did that to Tya for the longest time. But she realized after a while that she had little choice.

She couldn't avoid work because she felt bad or bitter. She couldn't stay in bed all day, refusing to eat or shower or anything of the sort. She couldn't lay there in silence because the intrusive thoughts would only grow louder.

Such things, she'd thought, were just bound to happen. But distractions certainly kept it from doing that. Busying her thoughts with what needed to go where, who she needed to do things for, how long it would take, and where she needed to go next often kept out the thoughts. Of course there were some days where it didn't help because the slightest problem would open a floodgate in her mind, or she couldn't even manage to get herself started to begin with, but there were days when she could just do it anyway.

"Why're you having tr-trouble focusing?"

"Thinking too much, I guess. But sometimes if I get moving, I am able to focus better."

Zelda had also told her not to be a perfectionist. The people she worked for in the bazaar were surprisingly lenient. They were all pleasant people, and average work with a few small mistakes wouldn't be something she was scolded for. So she didn't feel like properly organizing each little ingredient for Luv and Bertie's potions. It didn't need to be perfect, they just needed their things.

So she didn't feel like making herself a big elaborate meal. It didn't need to be overdone, she just needed to eat.

Many things wouldn't call for perfection, and to call herself useless or worthless every time something wasn't flawless, would only make everything worse for her.

It was difficult not to; it something she still failed at all the time, because there was always more she should do, and she always felt bad for not doing it. But she knew Zelda was right.

"Th-Thinking too mu-much?"

"Yes…" It was the first time in a while she actually wanted to share what she was thinking, and yet she hesitated to do so. She didn't want to say anything when he didn't ask about—he might not care.

Link didn't notice her hesitation in responding, he just turned his attention to his food, peeling back the paper that held it before asking "'bout what?"

The question made her smile a bit. It was funny how saying something so small and simple could kill doubt so quickly.

"It's… Well I'm not sure how to say it really. Do you remember what I told you when we were in the forest?"

He stopped to think for a second before looking at her. "About y-you being worth a li-life?"

She nodded in response, and he tilted his head. "It's thoughts like that. Thinking about why."

"Wh-what do you mean? Why wh-what?"

"Why I'm not."

His brow furrowed and he lowered the sandwich he'd gotten out. "That-That's not true."

"I know. But my head insists on telling me otherwise and it gets hard to ignore."

He nodded as if he understood, though she wasn't sure whether or not he did. It didn't really matter either way, at least he seemed to care. That was one less thing her mind could abuse.

"W-Well if I can help, te-tell me." He said simply, as if it was something she should have already known was true.

Tya accepted this silently, and then she leaned over against his shoulder, closing her eyes as she tried to rest.

She really couldn't tell if she actually managed to fall asleep or not, but even if she had, she hadn't been there long. When he was finished eating, he lightly nudged her, getting her to sit up straight. He packed away everything that had been pulled out and lifted the map again.

There appeared to be a marked path on the sands, though they couldn't really see it.

Just as they had last time, Tya volunteered to step forward to see if it was there, as she was the one that was easier to pull around.

She stepped onto the spot that was marked on the map, finding that just beneath the sand, it was solid.

They had to cross carefully, or else they'd slip into the bottomless quicksand on either side, but with the map's help they got through just fine.

They were led to two rooms, both of which had to be uncovered first and then crawled to.

The first contained a very simple little treasure: A Blue Feather, which Link passed off to Tya.

The second room was much more significant. In it, was a truly ridiculous amount of sand which unfortunately appeared to cover more of those metal strips they'd seen in the room they got the bellows. This time though, Tya figured out what was underneath.

Spikes.

Fortunately for the pair, none of the hidden traps hit them, because the moment they were discovered, they decided only to step on ground they'd uncovered.

It was almost maze like, and it was there Tya realized the gust bellows were much more useful than she'd thought. Before that moment she'd assumed they just made the dirt, dust, and sand scatter, but it appeared to actually make it disappear. Regardless, they made it through, finding quite a few rupees and a way into the next room.

They once again entered the main hub, though this time on the completely opposite side. A broken down cart with an odd mound of rocks awaited them. Just in the middle of the rocks, they could see the deep purple that meant there was a timeshfit stone that had yet to be carved out.

They found a way to strike the stone, and when they did the cart picked up and began to move along rails over an abyss. The stone was weak, creating only a small circle of past in the present, but as it moved along the rails, platforms formed on either side of it.

Tya and Link followed it.

They were met with one of those floating orb like things, which once again, Tya easily dispatched. Link opened a gate with the bellows, and they continued across. As time shifted in the small radius the uncut stone provided, more of those oscillating statues appeared as well, though they didn't have to deal with many of them, only hide themselves behind the cart so they wouldn't be seen. One did call for their attention, but it wasn't difficult to remove as they now knew how.

When they got to the other side, the stone allowed them to open up a gate that had blocked them off to begin with, meaning they could now access that area from all sides.

They continued to the left, where they found themselves in a similar situation.

They followed a mine cart with an uncut stone along, waiting for the times to change so they could continue.

This one, they had to dispatch one of the statues, because they could see gated door and a broken propeller ahead. When the times shifted, they used the propeller to open the gate, and then waited on the cart to finish its route so they could return to the door. A tedious cycle since they couldn't just turn around without falling into the abyss below, but Tya didn't mind. It was easier than dealing with enemies…

Tya wasn't the least bit pleased with the room they'd entered, because it contained more belts and more vines. As if that wasn't already obnoxious enough, this time the room provided an extra obstacle. It seemed some pipes had busted, allowing hot steam to blow out with a roughness that could make them stumble if either was to get close enough.

So they had to make their way up those vines once more, using their awkward turtle-like technique whilst avoiding the busted pipes that would no doubt knock them down.

They found their way across to a time shift stone, lighting the room up as they'd done before, and then they began across the room.

It was simple enough. They pulled a lever to bring a platform to them, used the bellows to control the platform, killed one of the floating orbs, wandered aimlessly for a moment as they were at a loss until they noticed scorched wall, uncovered clues to a puzzle, got onto a different platform, triggered stones that corresponded with the uncovered clues, then finally stepped foot on the other side where a gate now lay open and in wait.

Past the gate, the floors were marked and two of those unsettling smiling machines awaited them. Much easier to handle now that they knew they just needed to destroy the gems in the mouth.

With the machines disabled, another gate opened and they were allowed to get the piece that would open the large golden door that marked their destination.

Tya was much too glad to know they were close to the end of this damned place.

They crossed back to a door that led them to the main hub, on the only corner they hadn't yet been to. Another time shift stone needed to be escorted across with the help of a separate platform and the bellows. The stone thankfully removed a barbed fence that sat in front of the oversized golden door.

Just as they'd done before, Link helped Tya up, careful of his arm, and she twisted the key until it fit right. It took a few tries, as this one was ridiculously elaborate, but they managed and opened the door.

This time, behind the door, was a large rounded room, full of sand. For a moment it was quiet and still, but then the sands started to move beneath them.

They both scrambled to back away from the moving sand, but it did little good because what was beneath it soon showed itself.

They were pleased to find it was only an oversized scorpion. It wasn't difficult to see its weaknesses, its entire body was covered in a thick, armor-like exoskeleton, but inside its claws were two blue eye-like marks, and then right in the center was its actual eye.

A mix of Tya's fire and Link's blade got it down quickly, and then the room seemed to drain itself of the sand, leaving only the creature's corpse and a familiar door that glowed when Link got near it.

It opened, just as the past two had, allowing them to go through.

There was no spring on the other side, much to Tya's dismay—she really enjoyed such beautiful places, but instead there was just a platform with a mine cart and a rail that continued over a deep chasm.

The only obstacle was that it all seemed to be in the present, but they'd learned what needed to be done then. Link used the beetle to locate a timeshift stone.

Though it wasn't the spring they usually got to see, the place lit up and it shown that it could still be beautiful.

A gorgeous blue light radiated from the ceiling, lighting up the small statues of the friendly robots they'd met outside the facility. The minecart carried them through slowly, allowing the two to have a brief break.

They climbed out, looking toward the exit. Both seemed relieved, though Tya couldn't help but feel as if something was off.

She just hoped there wasn't another temple they'd need to go through. The way they spoke of it earlier, this facility would lead them to the so called Temple of Time. She worried that that wasn't the end of the puzzles, traps, and other dangers, only a way to get to the more elaborate ones…

She did not voice this though. If that wasn't the case, she didn't want to worry Link, and she honestly wanted to just forget such a thing could be a possibility. The thought alone made her want to cry.

They stepped into daylight for the first time in what really seemed like a long time. She had no idea how long they'd been in that temple, but it felt like decades. They could see the debris they'd been on the other side of earlier, and Tya was relieved by that. They'd successfully made to the right side, and further inspection shown that there wasn't another building, meaning no separate temple.

Even more fortunate than that, Tya could see the woman in black, and her beautiful blonde friend standing on the other side, in front of a very large birdlike crest and a shining blue… thing. It resembled a cog with many little markings she couldn't really make out from a distance.

Steps slowed as the two approached. It was partially relief that made Tya feel as if it was alright to slow down, but it was mostly the sound of Zelda's voice and harp. Such a sound really made her feel as if she was foolish for thinking anything bad could happen. It was soothing.

That song she played—she'd learned it for the ceremony. She'd sung it for Tya a couple times, trying to get her opinion on whether or not she was doing it justice. She always did.

Maybe this was it. Maybe this was where they'd be reunited with Zelda, and they'd be able to go home.

She watched her friend on the other side of the bridge, slowing to a stop as to not disturb her as she played. She couldn't help but smile as she watched, and after a second, she looked to Link. He'd done the same as her, watching with a look that bordered adoration.

Why did he look at her that way?

…Why was she questioning it?

She hadn't noticed that her smile faded until a moment or two afterwards. She looked away, readjusting a bit as she realized a sudden twinge of… Something. What was it? Why did her chest hurt? Or was it her stomach? Why?—

What the hell was that sound?

What the hell just hit her?

How did she manage to get ripped out of reality so quickly? Rocks flung forward, and if it weren't for Link roughly dragging her back, she would have been hit by much more than a shower of dust and pebbles.

He moved an arm up to shield both of them from the rocks, but when it seemed they stopped flying he quickly moved it back to draw his blade.

How dare she think things would be fine.

How stupid of her.

Ghirahim leapt through, his gaze flickering from them to Zelda and her Guardian. He paid them little mind, only raising a hand in their direction to create a strange diamonded barrier that blocked their path.

He immediately began toward the more important pair, but thankfully he was blocked by the Guardian.

"Your Grace! Quickly, to the gate!" The Guardian's voice pulled Tya's attention away from the barrier that blocked their path and over to Zelda.

Zelda looked at them, then back to the gate as if she was going to do as she was told, but she hesitated. She stepped back, seeming to realize she didn't have time to doubt her movements. She moved to the very edge.

"Link—" She called, raising the harp up and letting it be engulfed in light. "Link, here! You'll need this where you're going." The light it had been taken up with shot over to their side, landing hard in Link's hands and radiating enough of her light to seemingly kill Ghirahim's barrier.

"Go! Now!" The Guardian shouted. Tya could tell her voice was much more strained now than before, and looking over there made her realize the shield she'd created was beginning to break under the pressures Ghirahim was putting on it.

Tya quickly took the harp out of Link's hands, pointing toward Ghirahim as the Demon Lord drew back his blade. It was evident he was preparing for a thrust to end it.

A thrust which worked.

He sent his black blade through the shield, with enough force to knock the Guardian back.

But before he could take any steps forward, Link lunged at him.

Ghirahim whipped around just before Link plunged his sword into him, vanishing and dodging, but setting himself back. Link had successfully put himself between Ghirahim and Zelda.

She could hear Link tell the Guardian to go, and she hesitated for a brief second before rushing to her feet and heading to the cog like structure Zelda had started into.

"Link! You must go now. Return to the old woman at the Sealed Grounds. Tell her what happened here. She will know where you must go! And know that we will—"

"I will see you both again!" Zelda pushed her way out, only to be held back by the Guardian. "This isn't good-bye, Link!" Her eyes shifted helplessly from Link to Tya on the other side. "I promise, it isn't!" With that, the Guardian forced her back through, leaving only a small orb behind.

There was a flash of blue that soon faded into smoke, and the structure the two escaped into was laying in ruins.

Ghirahim froze, then letting a sharp growl leave him.

"Now you've done it, Link. I blame myself. I should have reprimanded you the last time we met, but instead I was…Soft. I'd take pleasure in punishing you, but I have no time for recreation." As usual, his anger meant dramatic movements that would be amusing to someone who wasn't at the end of his threats. "But next time, I'll do more than just beat you senseless. I'll make the affair so excruciating you'll deafen yourself with the shrill sound of your own screams." With that, the Demon Lord faded out into yet another cluster of diamonds, and Tya ran to Link, not trusting for a second that he was really gone.

The harp was cradled in one arm, but the other immediately wrapped around the waist of her companion, who held his shield over both of them.

They both searched frantically for any sign of Ghirahim, but the area itself was the signal that he was gone.

In the hastiness of the situation, Tya hadn't noticed the sky go grey and the surroundings become dark. But with Ghirahim gone, it all lit up again, letting daylight once again fall over them.

Link let out a breath, lowering his blade and they looked back toward the fresh debris behind them.

"…We should go." Tya said quietly, looking from the debris to Link and then back.

He only nodded slowly, and directed his attention down to her, waiting for her to take the lead…


	27. Chapter 27

Fi had spoken to them as they left, informing them that she could no longer detect Zelda's aura anywhere, and that they were unable to use the dowsing ability to find her because of this. Such a thing made Tya curious as to what exactly Zelda and her Guardian went through, and what exactly they destroyed. Whatever it was, it would effectively prevent Ghirahim from getting to them, but it also prevented Zelda from coming home.

They had returned to Skyloft after the confrontation, knowing their next move was to go to the Sealed Grounds as the Guardian had told them. However, Link didn't really seem to want to.

As they'd done before, they parted ways, but Tya couldn't help but feel like it was wrong to do so. Link seemed different than he had the past two times Zelda had eluded them.

That was what he wanted though, so she complied…

She returned to her small home as night fell, doing as she always did. She showered, ate, and put on something more comfortable for the moment. It was nice to just sit, though she couldn't really manage to relax. She couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened. It had gone so quickly that she really hadn't taken it all in until she was sitting in her own bed, in silence, thinking it all over.

She'd just stood there the entire time. How useless could she be? She could have done something aside from being a damn pack mule. But would the outcome have been different? It was relatively tame compared to the last few, because Ghirahim left instead of sticking around.

But what he said to Link… She hadn't thought much of it at the time, overwhelmed by everything happening, but now that it was calm what he sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't imagine what the next meeting with him would be like, but she could guess it wouldn't be pleasant. And that was saying something, because they already weren't. She could tell she'd very much prefer the last two over what would come next though.

She'd been lying in bed, thinking over everything in detail for a couple hours when something kind of strange happened. There was a knock at her door.

People really didn't visit her aside from Zelda. And now that the only person that did was gone, why would there be a knock?

At first she wondered if she'd just imagined it, but then it came again. She rose from her bed, adjusting herself to make sure everything was mostly appropriate so she could answer the door.

She pulled it open and furrowed her brow when she saw Link there.

"T-Tya." He said softly. Nervously?

She immediately pulled the door open more, looking him over with concern.

"Hey." She watched as he took a step closer, and she paused before realizing he wanted to come in. She stepped aside then, opening the way for him and motioning so he knew it was alright. "Are you okay?"

He wasn't.

She could tell something was off. He was nervous. Shaking, and pacing the moment he stepped inside. He wouldn't look directly at her, and his breathing was labored.

He didn't respond, he just let out a heavy breath and clasped his hands over his stomach.

"Link, what's wrong?"

The question made him shake his head a bit and he closed his eyes. His breathing picked up again and he moved to put his hands over his head.

Tya moved closer to him, taking one of his hands and pulling it down to her.

"Listen to me. Breathe, okay? Deep breaths. Breathe in for five seconds and then breath out for five seconds, alright?" She spoke softly, watching him carefully and holding tightly onto the hand she'd taken.

He did as he was instructed, but kept his eyes closed.

She didn't want to say more, because she didn't know what it was that caused it. She didn't know why he was panicking, or what needed to be addressed.

"Everything is okay." She kept her voice gentle, lightly brushing the back of his hand. After a moment or two of watching him breathe, one of her hands moved off his and she lightly set it against his cheek.

He flinched then, a reaction she felt was a little much, but when he opened his eyes and saw it was only her, he leaned into the touch.

"What's wrong?"

Link hesitated at the question again, before sighing heavily. "H-He… He's going to kill all of us." He admitted weakly.

His words made Tya's shoulder's drop, and she pursed her lips. She should have known Ghirahim was the cause of this. What he'd said to Link was terrifying, especially because she knew it very well could happen.

"I-It isn't just m-me. It's-It's everyone." As he spoke, Tya began to tug at him, pulling him toward her bedroom. It was the most comfortable spot in the house and where she spent the majority of her time when she was home. Her bed was safe in her mind, so perhaps he'd feel the same way.

He seemed a bit confused by her actions, but he followed her regardless. He was too worried about other things to pay much mind to where they were going. As they walked, he watched the hall, but soon enough he just directed his attention to her and watched her instead.

When they got to her bedroom, she closed the door behind him, and motioned to her bed with the hand that wasn't still tightly holding his.

Goddess, she didn't want to see him like this. She understood it all too well though.

"Just sit and breathe. Keep telling me what's wrong when you are ready to." She instructed him, tugging him once again and pulling at the soft red blankets that were draped messily over her mattress. She pulled them away only so she could drape them over his shoulders when he sat down.

He closed his eyes again, taking breaths as he'd been told to, and when he calmed a bit more he started again. "He's angry. H-He could co-come here any-any time."

"And if he does, it doesn't matter."

"He will kill us—"

"He won't touch you."

"How do y-you know that?"

"Because I am not going to let him hurt you." She told him firmly, causing him to quiet for a moment. He let out a hard breath, looking to the blankets she'd put over his shoulders to the hand she'd previously had his in.

"What a-about you?"

"What about me?"

"W-Well you're with me. He m-might try to hu-hurt you too."

She shook her head then. That was a possibility, yes. She'd thought of it multiple times as well, and she'd defend herself to the best of her ability if the time came.

So the question came to her: Why?

Why was she so sure Link wouldn't be hurt because she would defend him until her own death, and yet with herself, she simply thought she'd fight to protect herself and if she died, she died.

When did he become so important that she'd defend him before herself?

The thought made her shrink into herself a bit, but she quickly pushed it aside when she remembered Link was the priority.

"He isn't going to hurt either of us." The certainty in her voice seemed to reassure him quite a bit, and he nodded his head. She was glad to have helped, but she knew she'd missed the beginning of this and the worst part. He'd come to her as the panic was starting to die down, meaning he must have suffered alone before coming to her.

She should have asked to stick with him.

Why was she so useless? Why couldn't she think when it was necessary?

"I'm-I'm sorry for b-bothering you so late."

"You didn't bother me." She looked toward the door, then the window, realizing that it was indeed pretty late. She sighed, her attention falling back on him.

Though he seemed to have calmed significantly since he walked in, he still didn't seem right. He looked scared still, but mostly just… numbed.

"What else is wrong?"

He gave her a look like he didn't really want to answer that, or maybe like he didn't really know how. But he sighed and simply said "Everything."

"Aside from Ghirahim, what's the worst?"

"The fact th-that if I mess up e-even a little bit, I'm go-going to kill everyone I kn-know and love."

Well.

That was a pretty decent problem and something that someone should certainly be stressed about.

She pursed her lips again, nodding her head a little at that. She hadn't thought about that outcome, surprisingly enough. She was generally pretty pessimistic, but she'd only thought about them dying. She hadn't thought about what would happen afterwards. She didn't know what Ghirahim's plans were, but he more than likely would destroy Skyloft. He just seemed the type.

"I'm going to dis-disappoint Hylia."

"No, you aren't. And no one is going to die." She readjusted, getting comfortable on her bed. "Ghirahim is a threat. But you've beaten him and you've beaten what he's thrown at you. You will continue to do that."

"Why? Wh-Why should we keep do-doing this?"

"Why wouldn't we? Didn't you just say you didn't want everyone to die, or to disappoint Hylia?"

"Zel-Zelda is gone and a-according to th-that lady, I already have d-disappointed her. And I make a l-lot of mi-mistakes. What's the point in t-trying if I'm b-ound to mess it up? What's th-the point in being c-confident in what I'm do-doing if I'm j-just going to turn a-around and sc-screw it up and g-get everyone killed? I can do it th-this way, give up, a-and be pr-prepared for the en-end instead of th-thinking I'm doing s-something right."

"You haven't messed anything up since we've started this. I have no idea why you think you are making a lot of mistakes, especially ones bad enough to destroy everything."

He let out an aggravated sigh, shaking his head before hiding his face in his hands.

"I understand fully why you are stressed, Link… It's completely understandable, but I know for a fact you certainly haven't disappointed the goddess." She paused, thinking for a second about her next move and next words. She decided to move over to him and rest against his shoulder in a way that still allowed her to look at him. "You cannot be disappointed with perfection…"

"I'm n-not perfect."

"Certainly the closest thing to it I've seen. Aside from a remlit during the day." That comment got him to turn and look at her, traces of a smile on his lips before he shook his head. "You have done amazingly this far, and I am willing to bet you everything I have, that you will continue to do so. And that I will be by your side the entire time you do it."

"Do you ac-actually th-think that, or—"

"I know it as a fact."

He quieted then, seeming to relax slightly. He still seemed as if he was scared and hurting, but he seemed as if he could carry on now. He had turned away from her, but it was only a second or two before he turned back and lightly rested a hand against her waist. The look he gave her seemed as if it was a silent request, which she replied to by sliding an arm around his neck.

He had to turn so his other arm could wrap around her waist as well, and she chose to stand on her knees just to get closer to him.

He squeezed her tight, resting his head against her shoulder and nuzzling softly against her neck. For a moment, he kept her close, but his grasp loosened to let her draw back. She did, but not far.

"Would you like to spend the night here?"

He looked first to the door, then to her bed, then to her. As his arms were still loosely around her waist, it wasn't difficult for him to get enough of a hold of her to take her down. He pretty much tossed her onto the bed, eliciting a little squeal from her as she hadn't expected such a rough action. He flopped down next to her, grabbing her again and tugging her over to him so he could hug her tightly again.

Once again, he hid his face against her and rested his hands on her back as he let out a heavy breath.

"I'll take that as a yes, then?" There was a laugh laced in her words.

She felt him nod gently and he let out a gentle hum against her skin.

"We will make everything okay." She told him as she readjusted to move an arm beneath his head while the other rested over his shoulder. Without thinking about it, she shifted only to press a soft kiss to his cheek.

Perhaps if she would have been paying more attention to both of their actions than to how tired she'd suddenly become, she would have been able to confirm whether or not Link actually returned the gesture by lightly kissing her collarbone… But in her half asleep state, she didn't quite register what that gentle warmth was, only that it happened before he resumed his spot.


	28. Chapter 28

As much as she would have liked to say Link made her feel safe enough to sleep through the night, that wasn't the case. About an hour after the two fell asleep, the mage was forced awake and upright by a sound in her dreams that was much too clear. Even after she woke up, she could still hear it faintly—the shambling sound of bones being brought together by an unseen force.

Her breathing slowed slightly when she realized she was home and she was safe, but that didn't mean the fear was gone. She looked around the room, then down to her companion who didn't seem to be having the best time either.

He hadn't woken up, but his expression seemed pain and his body was restless. He twitched often and tightened his grip on the blankets.

...How were they supposed to get through this? Neither of them could even sleep peacefully, and both of them wanted to give up. It wasn't going to get better until it was ended, and who knew how long that would be or what trials they had to face until that point. How were they supposed to get through this?

Tya pulled her knees up only to set her arms against them and prop her head in her hands. She brushed her fingers through her hair, finding brief comfort in the softness of it. Because of this, her fingers found their way to the ends, twisting small clumps between them and brushing out the knots that had been formed in her sleep.

It was a soothing, distracting little task that soon allowed her to lie back down again. At that point, Link's twitching had only grown worse, and was accompanied by small whimpers. He was much braver than she was, fighting through his nightmares instead of bringing them to an abrupt stop…

Tya watched him for a moment, studying the way his expression changed. It was anger and pain, then fear, as if he was trying to close his eyes to avoid seeing something in his dreams.

She slowly moved to rest her hand on his cheek, hoping maybe a familiar touch would ease some of the fear. But the outcome was much different than she expected. Upon touching him, he jumped awake and grabbed her wrist roughly.

She tried to pull back, having been startled, but the grasp he had was much too tight. He looked completely terrified, and his breathing had picked up again, but both seemed to start to calm when he realized he wasn't in danger.

"T-Ty I-I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I'm scor—Sar—" She closed her eyes, pursing her lips tight while she tried to calm herself a bit. "I'm sorry I scared you."

His grip loosened, but he didn't release. The way he held her wrist suggested she was able to pull away if she so wished, but with him calming down, she felt there was no need. When she didn't start to pull away, Link let his hand slip to hers, and lowered it to his own chest.

She could feel his heart beat then. It was racing, but his breathing was slowly leveling out.

Both of them had become fragile. They were going to be broken by the time this was over, weren't they?

She closed her eyes again, lightly squeezing his hand.

At least they wouldn't be broken and alone.

Link slid closer, releasing her hand to check his bandages and then set his arm over her waist. He had to pull her closer so the injuries wouldn't be pressed on, though neither of them seemed to be complaining about the arrangement.

This time she was the one to be held. A nice change in what they seemed to have established as their usual sleeping arrangement.

She was the one to cuddle to his chest, one of his arms being used as a pillow and the other tightly wrapped around her shoulders.

It didn't take her worry away, but it certainly helped.

She waited to sleep until he seemed to fall asleep again, and the pair got a few more hours in before they got out of bed.

After preparing her things and dressing herself in her armor again, they headed back to the academy where Link's things were. He changed as well, and they headed out. Before leaving Skyloft, they decided to at least ask about getting Tya a blade of some sort.

Of course to no avail. The Knight Academy barely even knew her name, so it was to be expected that they weren't going to hand a weapon over to a random citizen, and Tya and Link felt it was best not to divulge too much information about what it was they'd been doing.

They stopped by the bazaar just to restock the pack, and got a bit of food before flying out to the green beam of light.

Everything seemed relatively normal up until they dropped off their birds to descend into the Sealed Grounds.

A few feet passed the cloud barrier, they both seemed to have the same feeling. It was as if they were being followed.

They looked at each other, both with a look of confusion at the feel, but it didn't take long for it to twist into panic as they heard a scream from behind them.

Turning, Link's face turned to borderline horror and he let out a yell in response.

Honestly the mage was afraid to look at that point, but if it was dangerous she needed to—

"Link! HELP!"

Goddess Damn it.

That was Groose's voice.

A quick peek back and Tya got a glimpse of that stupid red hair, but she didn't look long. Her attention turned toward how close to the ground they were—too close.

"Link!" She tried to get his attention, and it seemed for a second she succeeded, but it was quickly ripped away when Groose attached himself to Link and they both went flying to the ground a bit faster than intended.

Link tried to use his sail cloth, and it probably kept them from getting killed, but it wasn't overly helpful.

For once, Tya's landing was better than Link's.

The moment she hit the ground, she tossed her sailcloth down and rushed to where the two had landed.

Groose was pulling himself up, a hand immediately going to his head though Tya couldn't tell whether it was to fix his prized pompadour or actually care for himself.

"Rough landing…" He groaned, looking to Link as he lay on the ground.

"Link, are you alright?" Tya moved to help him up, but he waved her away and nodded his head.

"I think I mighta broken something… Hey Link, seriously didn't anyone ever teach you how to land without crash—" His sentence was cut off by a sharp gasp that grabbed both their attention.

Only for them both to find Groose's eyes locked on some small birds that had landed on his shoe.

When the birds picked up to fly off, a loud sound of amazement left him, and he looked from them to Link. "TINY birds?" He pointed in the direction they flew off. "What are they?!" He continued to look around in amusement, only to catch sight of Gorko as he idly passed. "And what is that thing!?" He got on his hands and knees, watching the Goron carefully.

Perhaps it was the set mission Tya was on, but she really hadn't taken the time to be amazed at what the surface offered. She hadn't thought much of the little birds, but they were pretty adorable, especially compared to the Loftwings back home. Little round blobs of feathers.

She smiled at the thought, looking at Gorko as well. A different species entirely that she hadn't really paid much mind to.

So many plants, trees, and animals that she'd never seen, and her vision of it all had been relatively skewed by the thought that she needed to bring Zelda back.

She'd thought deserts and volcanoes were myths up until that month. She'd thought the surface alone was a myth as well, and yet there she was…

It seemed the sudden amazement was certainly shared, as when she turned her attention back to Groose and Link, she noticed Groose was just frantically trying to find his words. When he finally did, he just shouted "Where am I?!"

He leapt to his feet, grabbing Link's shoulder and shaking him a bit. "What's going on here? Ever since Zelda vanished, you've been zipping in and out of town all in a hurry!" He stopped shaking Link. "So I figured I'd tail you, and you might lead me to Zelda." He drew back, pointing toward Gorko. "But this is… So wild. Seriously what is that thing over there?!" The look of worry on his face actually made Tya feel a bit guilty.

He'd done the same thing she had… Stumbled onto a destiny that wasn't quite his.

"And what's with all these trees? There are so many! Just give it to me straight! I can take it. Where are we? Is Zelda here?" He turned to start shaking Link again, and did for a moment but stopped. "What's the deal with this place?! If there's supposed to be nothin' below the clouds, what's all this?"

There was a pause between the two, then Link smiled and patted Groose's arm. The action seemed to confuse him, but at the same time comfort him. He drew back slowly, and Link looked to Tya.

"Zelda is here." Tya told him calmly, hoping her own tone would help him.

He hesitated a little, letting out a little sound of relief before his expression twisted to worry again. "Is she safe?" He asked quietly, almost helplessly.

"We…" Tya looked to Link, who's smile faded at the question. "We aren't sure. We are trying to find where exactly she went… But to our knowledge, she is."

"W-Welcome to the su-surface." Link said bluntly, calling Groose's attention back to him. The taller man just seemed to sink to the ground, sitting for a moment and looking at Link. As he tried to figure out what was going on, more birds seem to flock to him and land on his shoulders, and one even on the very tip of his hair.

Tya couldn't help but giggle at the scene.

"You're kind of like… imploding my mind right now… But I think I get what you're saying… So Zelda is down here? And She's… She's okay?"

"To our knowledge, yes. We have to go talk to the woman in the temple up there about it."

He let out a stupid sounding laugh, smiling gently at the thought that she was alright. "She's… She's okay. Wow! That's so great!" He moved to touch his face, almost like he was wiping something away, or checking to see if he needed to. "Hearing that's such a huge weight off my mind." He laughed again, shaking his head before sniffling and looking around again. The little birds on him seemed unfazed by his movements, and he smiled at them before looking to the trees.

"You know, guys… It's sort of all right down here. I think this place needs a name. Yeah… A name fitting for this rugged, adventurous wilderness. From now on, we'll call it… Grooseland!"

Even with this discovery, he was still Groose.

He got to his feet again, sniffling once more but playing it off by fixing his hair like he hadn't ever been terrified or upset. "So lemme see if I got this right. The lady living in the temple down the road knows where Zelda is?" The pair nodded their heads. "I see… Right, Link. Thanks for getting me here. You've done a good job. You can head home. Big Groose will handle the search for Zelda from here." His voice turned patronizing, and he nodded his head down at Link. Yup. I'll track her down, save her, then give her a lift back to Skyloft."

Definitely still Groose.

He proceeded go on about what he'd do when he and Zelda returned to Skyloft, and Tya couldn't help but roll her eyes. He laughed a bit, then straightened up and arched a brow. "Anyway, point is, your work here is done. I got if covered from here! Now it's off to find that old lady you were talking about."

He started off, waving back to the pair. "Catch you guys later!"

They both sighed heavily, looking at each other.

"He's going to get himself killed."

"I th-think it's mostly cleared o-out."

"You're assuming he's a lot smarter than he is, I think."

He paused like he wanted to refute that, but he really just nodded his head like he was ashamed of admitting it.

Tya laughed quietly before starting off toward the temple, watching to see if Link intended to follow.

They continued up to the temple, opening the door only to hear a complaint from Groose. Why she didn't expect that, she wasn't sure.

"Huh? You gotta be kidding me Grannie! You're messing with me. Say it again, I dare you!"

The pair approached the old woman and Groose quietly, listening to the conversation being had.

"I only speak the truth. You are not the one who will save her. The spirit maiden, your Zelda, can only be saved by another. It has been his fate to do this thing, and in doing so, save us. As it was decided long before you were brought crying into this world." The woman said calmly, barely even paying mind to Groose at all.

"I'm not meant to be here either." Tya admitted with a gentle shrug. The woman gave a small nod.

"And you've changed your own destiny." She admitted quietly giving another nod, though this one seemed to commend her more than anything. Tya smiled a bit, bowing her head in response.

"I hope that's a good thing."

"As do I."

"Well you obviously don't know me well, 'cause if you did, you'd know that if anyone's gonna save Zelda, it's Groose! How could it not be me? Plus, if it ain't me, why would I even be here?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "If I'm not up to the job of being the hero, just who is?" He turned as if he realized something, looking from Link to Tya, then back to Link.

"Oh…now I getcha. Grannie here's trying to tell me you're gonna be the big hero who rescues Zelda. What a joke! Look, all I've heard so far is a bunch of babbling about destiny, but that's a load of garbage. I know you, and you're no hero, shrimp!"

Tya wanted to respond, insulting Groose in defense but she kept her mouth shut. Even if she had tried to, Groose took off toward the door before she could.

With him gone, the old woman looked up to the pair.

"Greetings…" She said quietly, sighing heavily before continuing. "Were you able to catch up with Zelda?" Their expressions turned sour, giving away the answer before their mouths could. "I see…. So the Guardian was there as well, I'm assuming?"

"She took Zelda through something." Tya said.

The old woman nodded once more. "The one you saw by Zelda's side is known as Impa. She is a being sent forth by the goddess to aid Zelda in her quest. The two have traveled somewhere in order to accomplish the great task destiny has set before them." As she spoke, Tya leaned over and nudged Link. The action caused the woman to quiet down for a moment.

"I'm going to go make sure Groose stays out of danger." Even if she wasn't particularly fond of him, she didn't want him dead. Link nodded in response.

Tya started off, hearing the old woman carry on until she was out the door.

She stepped out, looking around to find Groose. He was out of sight, but she could hear him mumbling and a light pounding off to the side. She headed in that direction, finding him not far from the door. He seemed to be scolding himself, or at the very least beating himself (And the side of the temple) up for whatever reason.

She couldn't quite hear what he was saying, and in all honesty she didn't care. Part of her wanted to berate him for once again being rude to Link, but most of her wanted him to go back to the safety of Skyloft. As stated, she may not have liked him, but every life was worth something and he didn't deserve to lose his.

"Groose." She spoke firmly to get his attention, causing him to flinch and whip around, looking down at her. For once, it was obvious that he was forcing the 'Bully' façade he always had up. "You really should go home."

"No." He refused immediately, shaking his head. Despite the cruelty behind his words, it was obvious that it was a firm decision he'd made. Not because he wanted to do it to spite Link, but for something else. Likely for Zelda herself. It was no secret that he had an obsession with her. "I'm not gonna…" He huffed slightly, shaking his head. "I'm not gonna let that twerp be the one to save her."

"Why does it matter who does it? Why can't it just be important that she's saved?"

Again, he huffed, brows knitting together to make his expression all the more strained. A hand moved up to fix his hair, and he sighed heavily.

"It… It doesn't matter." He admitted under his breath.

"Then why stay here? It's dangerous."

"Why'd you stay here? Why'd you come?"

"Because I want to be sure she's safe, and I want to bring her home as well."

"So then why am I not allowed?"

Tya bit the inside of her lip at the question, looking toward the ground.

"Look, I… I want her to be safe. Yeah, I wanna be the one that does it, ya know, that brings her home, so maybe she'll give me some credit or something, but… Just as long as she's safe. I don't want to go back and wait. I wanna get her home." He seemed ashamed to admit such things. He wouldn't even look up toward Tya. It was evident he didn't want to be speaking to anyone about it, much less her, but for some reason he told her anyway.

This admission made her sigh because she knew the feel all too well. While she and Groose evidently had different kinds of feelings toward Zelda, they both felt deeply for her and only wanted to know she was okay. She couldn't fault him for that. She knew she couldn't very well go home and play the waiting game, not after discovering all this and knowing what it was Link and Zelda were up against.

She could however fault him for being a huge jerk toward Link. "If you want her to be safe so badly, why do you keep going on about how you want to be the one to do it?"

"…Cause." He motioned toward the temple where Link was. "C'mon. Him?"

"He's stronger than he looks, and definitely braver than the both of us combin—"

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

"That it's not fair. What, he gets to swoop in and save her? This ain't a fairy tale. It's like they were meant to be from the start, no one else gets a chance to come in there, and that's not fair."

Hearing that phrase—'They were meant to be together' brought back that feeling. That strange ache in her stomach. She looked to the ground, her jaw clenching briefly.

Was that what this was?

Was she jealous?

She thought, perhaps she didn't like the idea of someone else swooping her best friend off her feet and taking all her attention.

But when did that start? Groose was sitting there complaining about not being able to do that exact thing, and the thought of Groose doing it wasn't the least bit bothersome.

So it was Link, then?

She was jealous of Link?

Or of Zelda?

Because she had Link?

"It isn't fair, you're right." She replied, causing him to seem a bit surprised. He apparently hadn't expected anyone to agree with such a statement.

He didn't get the chance to say anything more, because something happened.

She couldn't tell what happened, all she knew was the ground felt like it was breaking with how hard it shook.

It very nearly knocked the two off their feet.

There was a moment of time where Tya froze up, not really sure how to react to what happened. She looked up, seeing Groose apparently thought the same thing.

"What was that?"

"I have no idea." She looked back toward the temple, then to the ground. She was hesitant to move forward, but after a second she did so regardless.

Moving toward the temple didn't quite matter, because the moment they got over there, Link and the old woman rushed out.

Another quake, but this one didn't end. After the largest calmed, it continued on as if something was hitting just under their feet.

"Go quickly, Link. Check on the sealing spike at the center of the pit. There is nothing natural about these tremors. That monster could free itself at any moment. Approach the pit with caution!" The old woman motioned toward the massive pit, and Link hurried forward, grabbing Tya's arm to get her to follow.

He ran and leapt over the edge, pulling his sailcloth out before he hit the ground, and Tya did the same.

They rushed to the center, keeping their balance as the hits against the ground became even more powerful.

It was the first time she'd been this close…

That spike gave her a horrible feeling, and thick black smoke that was emitted from it certainly didn't help.

Before Link could even get close, the darkness became more intense, flooding over the ground. She couldn't tell but the ground looked like it was sinking in, and something began to grow out of it.

A massive, black, scaled beast rose from the darkness. It didn't have eyes, yet it seemed to know exactly where they were. It faced them, rows of teeth bearing in their direction. The pair froze, but weren't kicked back into motion until the beast opened its mouth and roared at them.

Again, Link reached back and grabbed Tya's arm, but he released quickly to point toward the ramps that would get them away from this monster.

She nodded, and they both took off toward the ramp, only to have it start to follow.

"The seal has given way. Link! Keep that beast from escaping the pit! It must not reach the temple!" The old woman called to them over the edge.

Tya looked up at her, then back to Link. He didn't seem happy about this new task, but he turned back and looked up at it.

It was covered in the thick scales, but out of them stuck the sealing spike that had held it in the ground. He assumed he needed to get to that.

"Ty, try to sl-slow him down." Link said hastily, taking a few quick steps backwards but watching for her answer.

Tya nodded, though she probably looked quite helpless. She definitely felt it.

This thing was massive, and those teeth. Goddess, please save her. She didn't want to be anywhere near it.

Link took off when she agreed, and she turned back toward the beast that was slowly approaching. She moved back slightly before letting her hands ignite.

The Beast was going slowly enough that she had time to charge the fire. It didn't seem it would really affect any part of him because those scales were so large, and the sealing spike was so high up. But on the only limbs it had, it's legs, were large white bulbs that looked like toes.

She aimed for those, assuming that, even if it failed, she could at least attempt to knock it down by hitting its legs.

The steps were wide, but it was slow in taking them. It hit the bottom of the ramp, and that's when Tya fired first.

The white bulbs went down pretty easily with strong flames. She took out two on one side like that, then moved back to do so again.

As she continued this, firing weaker flames and trying to get the beast down, Link moved to the ramp just above them. It was at the perfect height to get onto the Beast's head, so he leapt across, landing onto it. She couldn't see what he was doing from her angle, but she assumed it had to do with the spike, and assumed that it was doing damage with the way it moved.

It flung its head back, and she saw Link go flying. He used his sailcloth to land safely, but the Beast came forward again. After a second, he started to continue up the ramp.

The nasty bulbs grew back this time, and Tya huffed, but started to fire at them again. She wasn't sure if it was helping, but it was the only part she could cause damage to. Maybe it was slowing him a little.

The process repeated two more times because it kept pushing the spike back out, but The Beast finally fell. Link beat the Sealing Spike back in, and The Beast shook as it tried to hold itself together. It froze in place and suddenly exploded into a burst of light. The scales flew outward, and Tya shielded her head as if that would somehow help. But they didn't cause damage. They seemed to move outward in slow motion, but soon bolted inward, all gathering at the Sealing Spike which resumed its spot in the center of the pit.

"Link!" From above, the old woman got their attention. "Strike the sealing spike with the Skyward Strike and restore the seal! Quickly!"

With that, Link ran forward, leaping over the edge to do as told.

The strike lit up the Sealing Spike, and Link thrust the blade toward the ground. The Spike immediately obeyed, plunging into the ground. The markings that had sealed it before traced themselves out in light first, then faded to dark markings along the grass.

The breathless hero turned, looking first to the ledge the old woman and now Groose awaited them on, then to Tya who was checking him over quite thoroughly from her spot. He didn't seem injured, but that didn't mean anything.

He sheathed the blade again, nodded toward the ramps so they could go.


	29. Chapter 29.

The two made it back up, moving slowly just to find a bit of relaxation on the way. But when they reached the top, the old woman moved to them. She waited a moment to speak to them, allowing them to catch their breaths a bit.

"Though the Imprisoned had only just begun to awaken and break its bonds, I'm impressed you were able to restore the seal keeping it captive. Unfortunately, you have only succeeded in buying us a little more time in which to act. The behemoth you beat back into confinement is a horror of unspeakable power. Judging by what I saw, I would not be surprised if the seal gave way again soon. So you are left with precious little time to complete the task with which you have been entrusted. Come to the Sealed Temple, Link. There is much to discuss." She held a frail hand out toward the temple doors.

The Imprisoned, it was called. She couldn't help but wonder why exactly. Obviously it had to do with the fact that it was sealed into the ground, but why?

Entering the temple, the old woman began to speak immediately, approaching a large block that Tya was positive wasn't there before she left. Tya looks back, noticing Groose had followed them in. He seemed disappointed, in a way, but that wasn't really her concern at the moment…

"...As you can see, the gate is nothing more than a slab of cold stone for now. It is sleeping. Rousing it from its slumber would require great power. Yes, I believe a shot of holy light from your Skyward Strike might just do it..." Upon hearing this, Link stepped forward, his hand moving back to draw the blade. The old woman rested a hand over his wrist, causing him to flinch slightly.

"Sorry to disappoint you, boy, but for now your sword lacks the power necessary to awaken the gate. First, you and your sword must grow together." Her hand slid off him, more carefully now than it had before. She seemed to notice the flinch.

She nodded her head, taking in a breath and clearing her throat. "Faron Woods...Eldin Volcano... and Lanayru Desert... A sacred flame is hidden somewhere in each of these lands. Seek them out, and purify your sword in their heat. Only after your blade has been tempered by these three fires will it be fully imbued with the great power for which you search. Clues to finding the sacred flames have been woven into the lyrics of a song precious to your people, the Ballad of the Goddess. These clues are your best hope of finding your way to the flames. Return to Skyloft. Somewhere on your island is one whose knowledge of this old song will point you in the right direction."

When she finished, she took a step back as if she was waiting to see whether or not there were questions. There appeared to be none, and when this was confirmed, she started back up to the little stage on which she usually sat. Before she could really leave though, her attention was drawn back to Groose. His arms were crossed, and brows furrowed once again.

He looked angry, but… Something about it seemed relatively forced. He seemed rather defeated aside from that. "…I hate sayin' this, but I guess you got it all figured out, Grannie… Me, well, there's nothin' I can do to help Zelda. I'm useless." With that, he started toward the door again, but the old woman gave a quiet chuckle and shook her head.

"Ah, you sell yourself short, my friend. You'll see in time, that you have your own role to play in all this." Even with this, Groose continued on toward the door.

The Old Woman sighed, looking to Link only to instruct him to do what was needed. Then she began off toward her place again.

When they were left alone, Tya moved to Link's side, eyes flickering to his arm back up to his face.

"F-Feels better today." He told her with a short smile. "It didn't hu-hurt to s-swing."

"You weren't hurt by The Imprisoned, I'm assuming?" As she spoke, Tya looked toward the woman, then to the door, recalling that they were instructed to return to Skyloft. That in mind, she motioned outward toward the door.

Link started toward it, but looked back at her so he could be heard as he kept talking. "N-No, don't th-think so."

He wiggled a bit, trying to see if anything ached when he moved. He seemed fine, to both of them.

"You seem to be in a better mood today." She was glad to see it, honestly. She enjoyed his being happy. Though when she mentioned it, it seemed to fade for a moment.

"Yeah… I-I'm trying to be op-optimistic." He admitted softly.

In response, Tya frowned. Yet another feeling she knew all too well. Trying to be happy despite feeling terrible inside. "You're welcome to talk to me more if you find it difficult to be optimistic."

Tya moved to set a hand against Link's arm, but she stopped herself before doing so. She couldn't help but think back to what was said before the battle with the Imprisoned.

About how it wasn't fair that Groose would have no chance to prove his worth to Zelda because Destiny had forced the two together. And about how she would have no chance to do the same to Link.

Perhaps such a realization meant she should distance herself… She didn't want to end up as awful and bitter as Groose.

Tya kept quiet as they returned to the sky…

Upon landing, the pair smoothed out clothing and hair, then looked around as if realizing they had no real idea where it was they were supposed to be going.

"She did not tell us who to speak to, did she?"

Link shook his head.

"So then… We will need to figure it out?" Weren't the puzzles meant for the temples? Couldn't they just be given what they needed in between?

What a lazy thought.

This was simple.

"What did she tell you while I was out?"

"Uhh… Well, th-that the harp Zelda gave us is i-important and that th-that th-thing she-she went through, there's a-another one in the te-temple. That was p-pretty much it. It's the g-gate of t-time and if w-we can get i-it open, we can get to Zelda…" He trailed off then, causing Tya to tilt her head a bit.

"Is that all? You seem concerned."

"Uh… Just… She said it was go-going to be d-difficult."

"We have already done difficult things." But whether or not they could handle more was a different thing entirely. They were already exhausted as it was...

"We'll get thr-through this too then." She watched as his lips nervously twitched into a smile. Though she wasn't entirely sure herself, she nodded her head in response.

Tya cleared her throat, stepping back to look over the citizens within her view. "Well, if we are meant to do that, then we need to find out who to speak to."

"The He-Headmaster was the o-one that taught Z-Zelda the song. You think he'd know?"

"I think that's certainly a safe guess." If it wasn't the Headmaster himself, then perhaps one of the teachers in the academy would know. They were teachers, after all and had quite a bit of knowledge at their fingertips.

They started up toward the academy.

She hadn't realized how strange it was to fully walk the town while armored until then. She could tell people were wondering why the bazaar's stocker would need something like that but what was she supposed to do about it? It was just a strange feeling to have eyes on her, even if it was only a few.

Entering the academy was no different. Pipit was wandering the halls aimlessly, and as they passed, he waved, but looked Tya's attire over carefully. In Skyloft, it was only the knights that required such heavy clothing, since they were meant to protect the people. A random citizen in armor was odd, and perhaps even misleading if the armor was designed too close to that of the Knight's Academy's. Fortunately for her, Gondo had taste and designed her something a bit more aesthetically pleasing. Not to say the tunics and chainmail weren't nice, but they did get a little boring to look at when all that happened was color changes over the years.

The green this year looked quite nice though… At least on Link.

He opened the headmaster's door for her, entering right after she did and closing it behind them.

Gaepora turned when he heard the door open, smiling when he saw the two of them.

"You're back! It's nice to see you're both still in one piece. How is it going down there? Are you any closer to finding my Zelda?" He clasped his hands at his front, looking quite enthusiastically from one to the other.

Link looked to Tya first, but when she said nothing, he started. "We are. W-We need help, th-though. She r-ran off th-though, and where she w-went, we can only g-get to b-by the b-ballad of the goddess. We w-were hoping you kn-knew the lyrics."

"I see… My dear Zelda… Things must be terribly trying for her down there. And it can't be easy for you now, can it?" He sighed heavily as he thought that fact over, but soon redirected his attention to the other part of what Link said. "You want to know the lyrics to the ballad of the goddess? You know, I'm not much of a singer."

The mage gave a little nervous laugh before saying "Just the lyrics are fine."

"You just want the lyrics? Oh! What a relief. You really put me on the spot there for a moment. I believe the lyrics go something like this...

Oh youth, guided by the servant of the  
goddess...unite earth and sky, and  
bring light to the land.

That's the first part, but as I recall, there's a second verse to the song.

Oh youth, show the two whirling sails  
the way to the Light Tower...and  
before you a path shall open, and a  
heavenly song you shall hear.

I believe that's the whole thing. The Light Tower mentioned in the song is a real place; I'm sure you've seen the tower in the plaza. I don't know a thing about two whirling sails though... It sounds like the song is suggesting that if one shows these whirling sails the way to the tower, something will happen? But how do you go about doing that, and what does it mean? Two whirling sails. Hmm..." Gaepora trailed off, trying to think over what it could mean. He didn't seem to come to any conclusions before the two decided they should look around for clues about it.

"Any i-ideas?" Link opened the door out of the academy for her, and they stopped on the overlook to look over the town.

"I know there's a large propeller near my house. But it said two, didn't it? I don't know if there's a second." It was strange to her that she'd lived there her entire life and yet she couldn't recall simple things about the land. She never paid much attention to it, she guessed.

"L-Let's look at th-that one th-then." He started off toward the stairs that would lead them to the other side of Skyloft.

When they reached it, Link seemed to immediately realize that there was indeed a second one on the other side of Skyloft. When she started to think about it, she realized he was right about that.

But that was the least of their problems.

It seemed that the towers did move, and that they were able to face them a certain way, however this one in particular seemed broken.

They weren't the only ones to have noticed either—Jakamar, one of the men that often did maintenance around the island, had been searching around for the smaller propeller for the longest time to no avail. He believed that it had fallen over the edge at some point, and that everyone must have not noticed until recently.

The pair took a look over the edge, realizing it shouldn't have been a difficult thing to receive. Judging by the proximity to the green beam of light, it had to be somewhere in Faron, did it not?

"You know, Gondo at the scrap shop told me that someone in his family once used a flying robot to haul junk back from beneath the clouds. But we're talking about a tale that's been passed down over a lot of years, so I wouldn't put much stock into it… Guess it's worth a try."

It wasn't until they moved to the second windmill that they realized they may need to actually look into what Jakamar had said about the robot. While the propellers were smaller than the windmill itself, they were still quite large. They could possibly just remove everything from the pack and stick it in there, but that would be incredibly inconvenient should they need anything while searching for it.

After getting the windmill to face the so-called 'Light Tower', they began back toward the bazaar. Gondo worked there during the days, Tya knew. Not only did she often bring in stock for him, but he was the one that had made her armor up for her.

They approached with purpose, and Gondo seemed to know that. When they reached him, the first thing he said was "I know that look. You've got a favor to ask me, right?"

Link gave a sheepish laugh before nodding his head. "Y-Yup. We heard ab-about s-someone in your family using a r-robot to get th-things from beneath the clouds."

"It's about that old robot my grandpa used to tinker around with?" He seemed surprised at first, and then his expression dropped to disappointment and mild annoyance. "You probably just came here to make fun of the crazy junk guy for believing in his grandpa's stupid stories, right? Well get in line, I've heard it before." He started to turn to wheel away and continue his work, but Tya stopped him.

"No! That's not the reason—" She paused, feeling a bit ashamed for reacting so hastily. She cleared her throat and shook her head. "No, we need something picked up from below the clouds. We were hoping you could help."

Hearing that, Gondo turned back. Again, he seemed surprised. "That means… you believe in my grandpa's stories too, don't you?!" The excitement he displayed was mild, but his voice said he was much happier than he showed he was. His smile soon faded though, and he sighed. "I'm happy to hear that someone else believes me, but I don't think I can help you. You see, my grandpa's robot, what's it called again… That's right, Scrapper…" he turned to motion toward a little pile of familiar seeming metal that was displayed on one of his tables in the back.

Tya furrowed her brow a bit before realizing that the robot reminded her of those they'd seen in the desert.

"He may not be much to look at these days… But he was an amazing robot once! When you called him, he would go anywhere and haul anything. Sadly, as you can now, he's another busted ol' hunk of junk. But old Gramps did tell me this: You can get him working again with the extract from an Ancient Flower. It's like oil to this guy. But I've never even heard of, much less seen, any such thing." He sighed heavily once again, seemingly disappointed that he couldn't be of more assistance. But the two gave an understanding nod and thanked him anyway before disengaging.

"Do you think we could find one of those flowers?" Tya asked as they started away from Gondo's shop.

"I d-don't know. I ha-haven't heard of th-them."

"Well the metal from it looked very similar to what those nice little things from Lanayru were made of. I was thinking that maybe we could search there."

"I g-guess. Th-there's not many flowers there to g-get it c-confused with anyway."

"Fi may be able to lend help with it."

He nodded in agreement, and they started to head toward the yellow beam of light, preparing to descend into the desert once again.


	30. Chapter 30

Retrieving a flower wasn't difficult work. As Link had said, there weren't many to choose from. There were a couple on the cacti and a few small pathetic shrubs with barely noticeable once, but there was one sort of bright pink flower that stood out. They thought it was safe to assume that was the one, and Fi confirmed that it was indeed.

They returned to the sky only an hour before night started to fall and hurried to take the flower to Gondo. The man was ecstatic over the thought of getting Scrapper up and running, and immediately got to work.

Unfortunately, no matter how quickly Gondo got it done, the pair likely wouldn't have had time to get back to the surface with the robot, so they agreed they'd start fresh in the morning.

They once again decided to stay together, just to avoid any panic from either side. Though they still didn't sleep easy together, they both felt they were much safer with another person around.

They woke early specifically to get to the bazaar the moment it opened. Something told Tya that Gondo would have been working on Scrapper all night until he was fixed. He was much too excited to let the project wait until the next day, in her mind.

Just as she'd suspected, Gondo had him up and running and was particularly excited about it. Understandably so, given the fact that no one seemed to believe it was even real.

"Who is this green-clad individual of small stature?" The robot flew his way out with the help of a propeller on his head.

"This is the kid that gave me the materials I needed to fix you. Go on! Say thank you!" Gondo excitedly motioned to Link.

"…Are you sure it was him?" Somehow the robot seemed to be in disbelief that it could be helped by Link of all people. When Gondo nodded and Link smiled, it simply continued with "Well then, I extend my reluctant thanks to you in a gesture of obligatory gratitude." Then what continued were a couple small zapping sounds Tya just expected from a robotic being.

"Heyyy now! Watch it! That's no way to talk to someone who just saved your life!" He sighed, then shook his head. "Anyway, these kids want you to haul some stuff around, and you're going to help them!" It wasn't until then that the being seemed to notice Tya. It shifted a bit to study her, then redirected back to Link.

"This individual may have restored my operations, but I am not inclined to offer assistance. Serving children is low in my task priority."

Tya arched a brow, leaning forward a bit. "What about for me?"

The robot seemed to shift from her to Link before turning away entirely.

She drew back, brow furrowing this time. "Did we just get unreasonably snubbed by a robot?"

"I th-think we d-did."

As they both stood, trying to come to terms with the sudden hatred, Fi appeared before them.

"Master, you should consider preparing another mode of transportation. It will not be possible to carry the item in your pouch and return to the sky."

Link had begun to respond to Fi when the robot rushed back over to them. Somehow, despite its face being metal, it managed to have a look of awe toward the spirit.

"Who are you?!" A fluttery little buzzing sound left it.

The Sword Spirit turned to face Scrapper when he spoke to her. "I am Fi."

"Your name is Fi?" Another little buzz. "Should I call you Mistress Fi? Are you looking for something, Mistress Fi?"

"I am searching for the Windmill's propeller." Fi said.

Scrapper looked to Link, then to Fi. He seemed to put together that they were working together, but regardless he answered with "I understand. At your request, I will carry anything regardless of weight or destination."

Her expression remained unchanged, but somehow Fi seemed confused. Finally she just turned to link, and with her same deadpan execution, she said "….Master, we now have a means to bring the propeller back to Skyloft. You may immediately begin your search for the Windmill Propeller." With that, Fi returned to the sword once again.

"Master Shortpants! I offer assistance. I can now detect Mistress Fi's thought waves! Should you need me, ask Mistress Fi to call me, and I will arrive with haste."

Link nodded hesitantly, seemingly confused though Tya couldn't tell if it was because of the sudden change in demeanor with Scrapper, or the new nickname he apparently had. Perhaps it was both.

They turned and made their way to the green beam of light, preparing for an uneventful day. Not that they knew it was uneventful to start with. Just that they descended into the woods only to find that they were unable to find anything about the propeller through the dowsing. They decided to at least look around a little, thinking of the correlation between where it would have fallen from in Skyloft compared to the woods. Evidently they were no good at assuming, because they went home empty handed.

They figured they may as well check the second closest place—Eldin.

They went to the top, figuring they'd check from the top down. Descending was much easier on Link. Because of this decision, they were able to come across the propeller much sooner than they would have otherwise. It had somehow fallen to the summit of the volcano, near the temple's doors.

Tya couldn't really make sense of why it had landed there of all places, but she didn't think too much on it. At least they found it.

They returned home, and handed the propeller over to Jakamar with Scrapper's help. Though they had wasted time in the woods that morning, they'd fortunately woken early enough to allow mistakes. Meaning Jakamar was able to fix the propeller and they were able to shift the windmill before night fell.

Moving the windmills in the right way allowed a small little part of the Light Tower to rise from it. If it wasn't already dark, Tya would have been concerned about calling too much attention to them. Despite the noise it made, though, no one seemed overly concerned about it. A few people peeked out and looked around, and the Sky Knights seemed to be searching for something, but no one seemed to really notice the new addition to the Light Tower.

They climbed up the ladders provided on the tower until they got to the top.

They assumed the harp would be needed there, but after playing nothing seemed to happen. A few attempts with other tools and a bit of looking around provided them with next to nothing.

Given the fact that it was called the light tower though, the pair assumed it may be better to attempt such a thing during the day. Again, they retired to Tya's home.

Showered, fed, and then the two went to bed as they had the past two nights. They woke early again, and immediately set out to the Tower again.

The daylight allowed a beam to shoot through a surface above them, and it aimed away from a glass surface at their side. This time, the harp actually triggered something. The harp and Fi's song made the platform move, letting the light shine through to the glass. The glass let the light form a perfect beam toward something the townspeople called the Thunderhead.

They had to fly out to it, and once inside they flew to the only thing they could see inside. Another tower, which the beam of light shot through to.

They circled it, finding no clear entrance, so they decided to land on an island just outside it.

A stone informed them that it was a puzzle they needed to figure out:

'Rotate the center pedestal to complete the bridge that allows you to step to the great tower on the Isle of Songs.'

The island on which they stood was circular, with tracks and walls. Little pillars moved according to a rotating lever, and would catch themselves on walls if they were left up on a track.

The puzzle was easy enough to figure out, and quite fun if Tya were to be honest about it.

They were allowed to cross and enter through a cramped little hole.

Link drew his sword on instinct then raised it to fill it with light. He used a skyward strike, hitting the crest and allowing it to illuminate the room. Light shown down from above, and a statue of the goddess rose. Fi showed herself then, her attention fixed firmly on the statue.

After a moment, she began to speak "He who seeks the sacred flames, listen well, for I guide you from my place at the edge of time. The sacred flames are three in number. To obtain them, you must also earn relics known as the three sacred gifts. For each trial you overcome, you shall be blessed with one of the gifts... Make use of the power of these gifts, and you will find your way to the purifying sacred flames. Now, I bestow unto you a melody. It will serve you as a key, opening the first trial that awaits you deep in the wilds of Faron Woods."

Then with that, a song began to play throughout the tower. They listened intently to the beautiful melody, but when it began again, Link realized it must have been emimportant/em. He quickly searched for the harp, pulling it out when he found it.

Tya was surprised at how quickly he got a hold of what he was doing. All it took was a bit of strumming to understand what sounds went where, and then he slowly plucked the strings along to the song.

When he matched it, it ended, and they were able to leave.

There was still much of the day left, so they headed out to Faron.

"A report, Master." As they landed and got their bearings, Fi appeared and watched them both. "I have detected the aura of a Trial Gate nearby. If you can pinpoint the origin of this aura using dowsing, I conjecture the song you learned at the Isle of Songs, Farore's Courage, will reveal the gate."

"Dowsing." Link repeated, pulling the sword from its sheath and nodding.

As he started off, using the blade to guide them, Tya quietly asked "What do you think the trials are?"

"I d-dunno. I f-figured like th-the temples. Those were tr-trials, right?"

"From what I understood, yes. So you think they will be like more puzzles?"

He nodded in response, lowering the blade and looking around at where they were.

"Do y-you th-think it'll be hard?"

"More than likely. But I think we can handle it."

Link smiled before nodding and motioning around to the area.

"The d-dowsing says it's r-right here."

It was a spot they'd passed before. It didn't appear to be special at all, just a patch of dirt among the vivid green grass. The only things though, were a little bunch of bright blue butterflies, fluttering happily around the spot.

"The harp?"

Link brandished the instrument, flashing a smile to Tya before strumming the strings. Fi came forward once again, landing gracefully on the opposite side of a small glowing plate that had formed.

He began to play the song the Isle of Songs gave him. To Tya's surprise, he remembered it quite well for something he learned on the spot. Along with his playing, Fi began to sing, and for each moment they sung the song, a petal like light formed around the plate on the ground.

When they finished, it resembled a flower.

Fi moved to their sides, her attention seemingly on the markings that had formed.

"Something here is reacting to our performance of Farore's Courage. I have confirmed the appearance of a strange mark on the ground. I calculate a 90% possibility that this mark is a Trial Gate, as mentioned by the goddess statue we heard from on the Isle of Songs. Thrust your sword into the center of the mark on the ground before you" With that, Link turned to hang the harp on the pack Tya held, and stepped forward to the mark. Tya stepped forward a bit as well, but kept her distance. She didn't want to disturb whatever it was this mark would make happen.

He drew the sword and thrust it downward into the mark, allowing a light to engulf him and pulse through the air.

Then he seemed to freeze. His eyes closed and his head bowed slightly, hands still remaining firmly on the hilt of his blade.

"Link?" Tya asked quietly, concern coming forward. When he gave no response, she stepped forward, only to have one of Fi's makeshift arms extend out toward her.

She looked from Link to Fi. "What's happening?"

Fi did not respond for a moment, just kept her cloth held outward to keep Tya from disturbing Link.

A second or two later, the spirit faced her.

"You cannot follow him to the realm he has gone to. Nor can I." She told Tya.

"R-Realm he's gone to?"

"Yes."

"What does that mean?"

"He has entered a realm known as the Silent Realms. They are accessible only to the Goddess's Chosen Hero."

"…And I'm not supposed to be here, so I don't get to help."

"Yes."

Tya sighed heavily then shook her head and slid the pack off her shoulders. She was careful not to jostle it much, as she didn't want to break any of the tools that were now strung to it. How they'd manage to properly tie up the Gust Bellows, the Harp, Beetle, and their tent and bedrolls, she really didn't know. It had to have been some sort of miracle to get everything on there.

"Is he in danger?"

"Yes."

"You're… Really not all that comforting."

"His spirit has temporarily separated from his physical body. Should anything happen in the silent realms, it will shatter his spirit and he will fail."

"And then what? I'm not able to get him where he is."

"Then hope he does not fail."

"I don't think he will, but that doesn't mean I'm not worried…" Tya sighed once again, and looked up at Fi. "Can you see what he's doing or something?"

"Yes."

"So you know he's alright?"

"Yes."

"What exactly does he have to do in there?"

"He must collect the Tears of Farore so the Goddess may bless him with a new power."

"He can't hear me or anything, can he?"

"No."

"Can he hear you?"

"Yes."

Tya let out a frustrated sound, pulling her kneed up and resting her head on them.

"How long is it going to take?"

"I estimate two hours."

Another frustrated groan.

"How come he can hear you but not me?"

"I communicate with him telepathically."

Tya paused, brow furrowing as she thought about that. She hadn't ever noticed they were able to do that before. Then again, perhaps it was because Fi usually just spoke to both of them. A quiet sigh left her before she pulled her knees to her face and rested her arms, then her head on them. She watched Link carefully for any sign of movement, though she saw nothing really.

She couldn't help but wonder if this would count as sleep. He certainly looked as if he was sleeping. She doubted it was peaceful, but he seemed as if it was. He needed it…

For some reason the thought that they'd slept in the same bed together was strange to her. How much did she actually know about Link? And yet she trusted him to be in her house, in her bed, wrapped around her while they slept.

Becoming friends was weird…

Was she really that isolated that she thought that?

Well, she had to go back to being as she was. She had no choice. She had no idea why she thought it was a good idea to stay in such close quarters with someone. She'd already made that mistake once with Zelda—fortunately those feelings faded when she kept her distance, and they never returned when she allowed herself close again. She'd have to do the same here.

A quiet sigh left the woman and she looked up at the sword spirit. That seemed like the longest Fi had ever remained in her presence. It was quite awkward, really, like being around someone new. It was odd to think that she'd traveled with Fi as long as she had Link.

She looked back to her companion once more before slowly getting to her feet. She slid the pack off, letting it sit on the ground near the two.

"I am going to look around a bit. I won't go far, so if he wakes just call for me." In response to this, Fi seemed to bow her head. It was somewhat of a nod, and she took that as an affirmative action and started off.

Tya explored the surrounding area absently, finding nothing of real interest. There were a few interesting little rocks, but in the end she abandoned the majority of them. There was no need to keep them, after all, and they'd likely just weigh the pack down.

When Link called out for her, she hurried to return to him. He'd succeeded, evidently, and was rewarded with something that made Tya a little uncomfortable. They were water dragon scales. She couldn't help but think they foreshadowed something that involved, well, water.

It would allow him to swim freely under water, and apparently the flame lay somewhere they'd not yet explored. Which could very well be water…

They turned to leave, only to realize the Kikwi Elder, Bucha, had been patiently waiting for them. He only backed up what Fi had said, and what Tya was concerned about. Everything seemed to point to the water…

The first little body of water they'd come across, Link decided to dive right in to explore. It was right in front of where they'd come from, at the base of a massive tree.

Returning, he informed Tya that the inside of the tree seemed to be hallowed out, and that they could reach it by swimming.

Which was a problem for multiple reasons…

"The scales allow you to breathe under water?" She motioned to the necklace he'd put on. He nodded a bit, using his wet arm to wipe water out of his eyes, only to realize what a stupid idea that was.

"Link, I can't breathe under water. We can't take the pack under water, our stuff will be ruined."

Link looked from her to their things, and he pursed his lips.

"Do y-you want me to g-go ahead?"

"Would you like to go ahead without me?"

"Not r-really."

"Do you have more than one scale?"

He looked at his neck before looking up and shaking his head. He'd yet to come out of the water, only beached himself on the shore, looking up at her as he rested his head on his arms. How he was comfortable in soaked armor, she'd never know.

She clenched her jaw a bit, aggravated by the simple fact that water was involved. As if she didn't already have to fight the invasive thoughts telling her she was useless, she actually had to make herself useless.

"Was it a long way?" Perhaps she could manage to hold her breath that long.

Link nodded his head in response. "M-Maybe I could l-like, give you a-air."

"Would that work?" It seemed unlikely. And awkward.

Link shrugged, sighing heavily as he was seemingly out of ideas. For a moment he stopped to try and think, then he seemed to realize something.

"Ya know, th-there was that lady, in the b-bazaar… Didn't sh-she say som-something about an a-air potion?"

She thought back to the last time they were in the bazaar, thinking over all the pitches being thrown at them about what was being sold. She didn't remember exactly what the potion was said to do, but 'air potion' did sound quite promising.

"It's worth a try, I suppose. What about the pack?"

Link looked at it, then pursed his lips once more.

"I g-guess we could just l-leave it here and h-hide it a little? Hope for the be-best and come back when we n-need it?"

"But it has all your tools."

"I d-don't kn-know if they can get wet though. W-We may not even need-need them."

She shrugged then, nodding her head to show that she agreed. She stepped back then, and he pulled himself up.

The two hurried to return to the sky, idly discussing methods that may work in keeping their things together.

Heading into the clouds, the two made their way directly to the bazaar. Luv gave a nice little speech about her air potion, informing them that it was indeed what they'd hoped for. They didn't have many empty bottles on them, but with a little extra rupees, Luv supplied them with two more. Tya thought it may have been a bit excessive, buying four potions, but she understood that it was better to be safe than sorry.

They hurriedly returned to the surface then.


	31. Chapter 31

Tya begrudgingly chugged half of one of the bottles then stowed it away in her bra, since all her storage was with the pack, which Link nestled in a bush not far from where they'd be swimming.

"Ho-How's it feel?" Link dusted off his hands as he returned to her side.

"Like I need to breathe." She replied, eyes narrowing as she took in a deep breath.

"Isn't that n-normal?"

"Then I feel no different."

Link paused then, brow furrowing. He looked at the bottle, then at her, and he shrugged.

"S-See if it wor-worked?" He motioned toward the water only to freeze up and look from it to her. "Wait, can-can you swi-swim?"

"Yes." She replied, smiling gently and shaking her head. "I had no reason to avoid the water in Skyloft. I'll admit, I'm not overly fond, but I'm not hydrophobic either."

He nodded then, somewhat slowly, showing that he understood but was there to stand by regardless. Link stepped back then, and her attention turned back to the water.

She had taken a few steps forward, but paused before she entered.

Wet chainmail was the only thing on her mind.

It just seemed so incredibly uncomfortable. And would it not rust?

She took a step back, looking at her armor. Water couldn't be good for leather either.

And her hair. Water in her hair. It was kept up tightly, but taking down wet hair and putting it back up was such a pain, and the movements required for, well, anything they did, meant that doing so was necessary and constant.

…She could at least fix that one.

She pulled her hair down, and began to put it in a sloppy, yet tight braid, then she tied it off tight and hoped her bangs wouldn't be a problem to her.

"I cannot leave my armor here, can I?" She looked back to link as she put her hands on her stomach. She lightly brushed her fingers along the leather, then looked back to the water.

"I do-don't thin-think that would be a g-good idea. Wh-Why?"

"The chainmail will rust, will it not?"

"N-Not if you oil-oil it." Link shrugged, looking over her armor for a minute. His brow furrowed and he shook his head. "B-But I th-think that the leather w-will mess up."

She looked at the leather as well and nodded her head. "So then only the chainmail? And it won't get ruined?" Link smiled to confirm what she said, and from there she began to unstrap the leather pieces she wore. He moved to help with the cuirass, and as he unlatched the straps down her sides, she pulled off her gauntlets and began to undo the belt that held her tassets.

When it was all removed, Link took it to head toward the spot he'd hid the pack. He tucked them away as well, and as he did, Tya stepped into the water. She submerged herself slowly, dreading every step deeper. Finally, when she was just about to the point she'd go under, she looked back.

"Am I supposed to hold my breath or try to breathe?" Was this meant to make her breathe underwater, or hold her breath longer?

Link thought for a second about what they'd been told when buying the potion. "Uhh, I-I think ho-hold?"

Tya took in a deep breath and fully went under. She stayed for a moment, wondering why exactly she didn't just test this above water, if it was merely meant to help hold her breath, but she figured the sooner she forced herself in the better. It was a few seconds, and while she felt the odd pressure of needing to breathe, it didn't become so urgent that she felt she'd suffocate if she stayed under longer.

She resurfaced then, brushing water out of her eyes and looking up at him. "I think I'm able to make it."

"How l-long is it su-supposed to last?" He started toward the water as well, running in and pretty much diving when he got to a deep enough point that he could.

"I'm not sure, so we probably shouldn't waste any more time…" She'd already wasted enough by stalling to begin with.

"You-you ha-have the bottle in-in case?"

Tya mumbled a quiet 'yes' in response, and Link then ducked under water, starting toward the tunnel he'd discovered.

Tya followed close behind, doing her best to keep up. She did indeed know how to swim, though she'd admit she wasn't the best at it…

They resurfaced inside the tree, and were able to climb up onto a platform with more conveniently placed vines. This time, as they climbed up, Tya heard Link give a quiet thanks to Farore for this assistance.

The notion made her quietly snicker, but how else could it be explained? There was no clear way up out of the water here, and in many other cases it seemed vines had rooted themselves firmly to give a convenient way up to places they needed to be. Something had to have made them grow there, and made them grow strong, so she didn't blame him for believing it was divinity.

They got to the top and looked around.

Over the water, there were two wooden swings, though how they were supposed to get to them, Tya didn't know. Jumping appeared to be out of the question, since they were just far enough apart that they couldn't jump, and given the fact that they were swings, it likely would only end with one of them hitting the platform and flopping into the water. An admittedly amusing thought, but not at all productive.

Along with the swings, there were many of those odd floating fish that they'd confronted in the mining facility. She recalled that they exploded with enough impact, which could be useful if they could fling them into a swing with enough precision to give it some momentum.

The pair both seemed to be searching for a solution to their problem.

Examining the area, Tya notice a rigid edge of the tree jutting out at a height they likely wouldn't have been able to reach alone.

"Link," she nudged him, motioning toward the ridge that lead all the way around, just above the exit on the other side.

He nodded the moment he saw it and started over to it, motioning for her to follow. He gave her a boost and she proceeded to help pull him up.

They proceeded around the edge, but before dropping down Link decided to continue forward. It seemed to lead up farther, and he was curious about what may lay ahead, if anything.

Continuing up, the path narrowed significantly, and they walked out onto the branches that the swings hung from. Across the way, Tya could see the leaves that implied one of those plant monsters would await them.

Link seemed to notice the same thing.

"Y-You can't do the th-thing yet, can you?" He opened and closed his hands as if to tell her 'the thing' meant her fire.

She looked at her palms, noting that they were still damp at the very least, but she tried it anyway. All that came was a bit of sparks, then steam, and she shook her head.

He pursed his lips for a moment, but soon drew his sword. The blade itself wasn't long enough to reach across the gap without risking injury to Link, either from him falling or being hit by the foe. But he raised it to the sky, letting the blade fill with light, then stepped forward with the attack readied.

When the creature showed itself, Link quickly threw the light forward horizontally, slicing through the stem and effectively killing it. He then jumped across the small gap with Tya close behind. She guessed that wasn't the intended use of the strike, but it worked in their favor, so she was left only to be amused that he'd used a supposedly heavenly ability to cut down a plant.

There was nothing they really needed there, but something that they happily accepted: A Gold Rupee. Tya had never seen one, as they were worth about 300 altogether.

Having collected that though, they continued down and leaped down in front of their exit.

They stepped out onto a carved path that spiraled around the massive tree.

They proceeded up the path and then up vines, which Link was able to dispatch with the only tool he still had, his slingshot. Tya hadn't noticed he kept it on him, but it was small and wooden, so she wasn't surprised that it was fine in the water.

It led into the tree once again. Entering, the pair immediately came to a stop.

Something that resembled one of those red pests stood on the other side, though those alone wouldn't have been enough to bring pause. This one though was massive, wielding a spear and a heavy wooden shield. It immediately seemed to notice them, holding the shield in front of itself and the spear forward.

Tya's reaction was to once again try to ignite. The sparks soon gave way to a flame, but she gasped and extinguished it. Her sleeves were still drenched, allowing water to drip down into it.

Noticing this, Link held a hand up to signal for her to stand back. He moved forward with sword and shield drawn as well.

The enemy inched forward, prepared to skewer Link if he got close enough. The path was too narrow for a lot of dodging and likely too narrow for Tya to shoot at that point anyway, with Link ahead of her.

But even with that, and with the drips into her fire, she reignited. It was too risky not to help in some way—that shield could easily push Link off the edge, and though water was what waited for him beneath, it could still prove fatal. If the shield didn't get him, the more obvious option would, meaning the spear.

She didn't want to doubt Link, but it seemed he was at a severe disadvantage.

She raised her lit arm up, ignoring the stinging pain in her veins brought by the moisture on her palms. Gravity wouldn't allow the water to drip into her fire if her arm was raised. She allowed it to charge only a moment before hastily casting it forward.

Fortunately, she managed to catch the wooden shield, startling both Link and the beast. The beast shook it, trying to put it out, but to no avail. It then resorted to casting it off, letting it fall off the edge and to the water below.

With this gone, and it distracted, Link quickly took the moment to thrust his sword through the beast's stomach. It's response was an odd growling, obviously pained, and not the least bit pleasing to the ear, though Tya couldn't imagine the dying sounds of anything would be.

It swung it's spear, but Link managed to duck below it and avoid being hit. It wasn't long before it tumbled back, collapsing on the path. It would have proved a problem for them to get past, but it soon slid off the edge, falling to the same fate it's shield did.

Tya had extinguished her fire quickly and began to rub her wrists to try to soothe her pain. As she did, she started across the path to meet Link again, and they proceeded out the other side, sure not to slip on the blood left behind by the fallen foe.

They took note of the statue on the path that would allow them to return to the sky from that point, but did little more with it. They carried on up the path.

"Are y-you alright?" He asked, motioning to the way she rubbed her wrists.

"Yes," she smiled. "The water in the fire hurts, but it's bearable enough to help you if I need to."

Looking forward again, Link slowed and motioned toward one of the pests that stood, looking out over the forest.

It hadn't noticed they were there, so Link crouched, drawing his blade and moving close to the wall. Tya took a step back and moved to the wall as well so she may not alert it, but she kept behind him as Link sneaked forward.

He'd gotten half way there when a startled gasp left his lips, and his shield quickly moved to guard his head. Tya didn't understand why until a cleaver came down hard on the guard.

She flinched, frozen with a bit of panic until she saw Link thrust his blade upward and through the chest of the pest that had ambushed him. He stood then, stumbling back a step or two as the one fell dead.

When they looked forward again, they noticed that the blue skinned pest had then been joined by another, and that they were both headed toward Link.

Link quickly lunged forward, slashing his blade through the red one that had come forward, then giving a swift kick to the initial one, making it stumble back a few steps. Such a thing did a little more than he seemed to expect, because it slipped back off the edge of the tree and went falling down to the ground far below.

Tya looked over the edge briefly before stepping back and looking to Link with her mouth hanging open.

There was a moment of silence before she quietly muttered "maybe I should go home" It seemed out of the blue, honestly, but he'd been ambushed and all she did was stand aside like a useless damsel. In her head, somehow, it made more sense to leave rather than give him an extra pair of eyes to watch his back.

"Wh-Why?" His victorious expression turned to a frown, and he tried to calm his slightly labored breathing.

"If there is water involved, I'm not of any help to you." She told him simply.

"T-Ty, we al-already went over this!" He slumped a little, but his expression turned to a smile. "Even i-if you're j-just st-standing by, it's nice to not be al-alone."

They had indeed discussed such a thing multiple times, which only made her feel silly for saying it once more. But even with his repeated comforting words, she still felt the same this time. Before, it was only anxiety and self-deprecation that made her feel such a way. These things, though terrible and reoccurring, were fixable or at the very least bearable with a bit of reassurance that they were wrong. However this situation didn't quite feel the same.

Fear was what made her want to leave. Fear that she would be the reason Link fell, because he was too busy having to protect her when she was rendered useless. Along with that came frustration that she couldn't force through the pain and fight regardless, or even use a melee weapon when all else failed. Instead she just stood by like some pathetic escort story awaiting her knight to clear the path so they may safely continue.

What next, was he going to remove a piece of clothing and lay it over a puddle so she may not wet her shoes?

The thought aggravated her…

"I don't want to be a danger to you…" Her voice quieted then.

"How w-would you be a-a danger?" He sheathed his blade, looking back toward the path to see how much farther up they needed to go. It shown no sign of ending soon, and so he moved to lean against the tree itself.

"If there is water, I cannot fight, and therefore I will only be standing back and watching you take everything yourself."

"And a-after taking everything my-myself, I'll get to come o-out and see you. Waiting and Safe. L-Letting me know I'm a-alive and doing wh-what I need to." His own voice softened as well.

She hushed then, her hands clasping over her stomach and her eyes redirecting to the bloodied wood beneath her. Link stood, watching her for a moment or two longer before straightening again and pulling at her arm.

"Don't leave me h-here alone." It was a gentle order, spoken in such a way that seemed to be a mix of a command and a request. Possibly the only command Tya would ever follow without resentment toward it.

With it in mind, she motioned forward again, and Link watched her a moment longer before complying and carrying on.

He slowed so she could walk at his side, and he lightly nudged her arm a bit.

"Wh-Why don't we try to f-find something for you to fi-fight with again when we go back?"

"We already tried once, they wouldn't lend a weapon to a civilian."

"Yeah but m-maybe if I le-leave Fi somewhere and sa-say I need one, or ask th-the Headmaster. At le-least a knife. So you don't f-feel so def-defenseless. "

"I suppose…" She trailed off. Even something would be better than nothing, but she had no idea how they'd get a hold of anything. She just decided she'd let Link try to handle it, he was more likely to get his hands on something like that.

They carried on a little farther up the path and as they walked, Fi formed again. She was silent for a moment before quietly saying "Master, listen closely. Do you hear that?"

The curiosity seemed out of character for her, but Tya realized that may just be because she'd only seen one trait displayed by Fi. She didn't know her, nor did it really occur to her that the spirit may indeed enjoy something.

Regardless of that, though, Tya did actually take a second to listen in to their surroundings and see what it was Fi was talking about. In the branches above them, it sounded as if there was a creature. It seemed like growling in a way, though she wasn't quite sure that's what it was, given the consistency of it. Creatures didn't generally growl, stop, growl, and stop.

They continued toward it, ascending to the top and walking out onto a ledge. Fi had not returned to the blade, instead she gracefully floated at Link's side.

"We have reached the top of the tree." She started, moving out in front of him. She turned from him, around to look at the rest of the woods. "From this vantage point, you have a good view. Perhaps you will see an area you have not yet explored." As she spoke, she seemed to notice the sound again, and she turned only to spot a Kikwi perched on a branch not far from them. A makeshift arm motioned outward toward it as she said "Master, look up there…" There was a brief pause before she turned back to Link. "I have confirmed the discovery of a new Kikwi. Analysis indicates a 90% chance that the sounds we have been hearing are the loud snores of this Kikwi." With that, Fi abruptly retreated to the blade, leaving the two of them to stand, confused for a moment.

There were a few silent words passed between them about what the course of action should be, but they soon settled on waking the Kikwi. A bit of 'psst's and 'hey's ensued, to no avail, and then Link decided try another method. He whipped out the sling shot, and at first Tya stopped him, but he reassured her he of course wasn't going to hit the thing, only try to spook it awake with snaps on the branches.

A couple of shots, and it worked, startling the little fellow, but waking him nonetheless. Tya lurched forward as if she would be some of assistance, but the gap between where they stood and the Kikwi sat was much too large for her to catch him if he fell.

It was startled first by the rude awakening, and then again by the presence of what had done it. "Humans!" it exclaimed happily, carrying on to ramble about how they hadn't seen one of those in years. Soon enough it cut itself off though, in favor of introducing itself. "Yerbal", it said its name was, though apparently the other creatures referred to him mostly as the Kikwi hermit.

He continued on to ask if they could see them, to which both gave a confused affirmation. Tya was left to guess this was some sort of joke, because he didn't clarify at all, rather moved on to inquire why they were there. They told him as they'd told everyone else thus far, and with their explanation he agreed to help so long as they kept it a secret.

This was odd to her, that he would entrust something to the both of them, but not because he did it so loosely. She assumed it was their status as 'humans' or perhaps the questions they asked, the manner in which they asked them, and the equipment carried by her companion. It was more the fact she was so quickly trusted without question. It hadn't been overly prevalent in all conversations, but to her it felt as if it was glaringly clear she wasn't meant to be here.

There was a spike of worry as these thoughts came to light once more, but as he continued on with his story, she forced her attention back to him.

He told of a Water Dragon, and her whereabouts within Lake Floria, the entrance to which was closed and sealed only to be unlocked with the power of the goddess. It was an incomplete seal, and the complete symbol was somewhere etched, waiting to be memorized so they may unlock it. They took their leave after the hermit clarified one last thing: that the Water Dragon was particular about manners.

With that the pair stepped to the edge, from which they were able to look out over the entire forest, and place the spots which they assumed held what they were looking for. The lake itself was clearly visible from their position, and a stone slab that lay in front of it though the symbols on it were indecipherable at their distance. Moving around, they could see nothing that looked as if it held what they were looking for, so they descended the carved walkway once again, their eyes sharp so they may find what they were looking for.

And they did so, on top of an overgrown, crumbling structure that, in all honesty, made the area more beautiful.

They wasted no time, leaping off and using their sailcloths to land close, where they took in the rather simple symbol and began off in the direction of Lake Floria.


End file.
